UMNO: stepping up to the next Level with Najib

 

In the previous article, I mentioned the need to instill into Malays a feeling of being driven. We need to turn them into go getters who are less inhibited by cultural, social and doctrinal constraints. Or constraints of habits.

UMNO doesn't have a core e group of thinkers in their midst. We don't have for example a special body within UMNO entrusted with strategic thinking. We farm that task out. We ask others to write in an ideological program into our minds. We shape public opinions as they come along and make use of 3^rd parties- opinion polls, apco-ised PR firms etc. As a result, the public see UMNO as Jack Sparrow personified. We don't exactly know whether UMNO has a long term strategic vision, or it solves problems and make plans , as it goes along. Similar to captain Jack Sparrow. Accordingly, we hope to benefit from fortuitous outcomes. We bank in on lady luck.

Not good. We don't go out as a determined, dedicated and driven leadership. We hope things will turn out for the better. We practice the same ailment we decry of others- we adopt a rent seeking attitude instead of adopting a go-getter mindset.

How do you prepare UMNO people and Malays mentally then? You have to put in place a culture of responding to challenge. We need to respond to challenges and threats not dissimilar to the theories expounded by the historian Arnold Toynbee. No, readers don't have to go study what Toynbee said. The important point is- a culture that lacks a driving and highly educated leadership committed to public service cannot expect to progress far. A people that lacks the driving and determined urges cannot progress far too.

That culture is missing in UMNO. What UMNO has done so far, is do minimal changes to how it elects leadership material at branch and division and national levels. The outer forms are changed, but the substance not yet. Because, what it has done thus far, is to allow the same quality leadership material to re –group and circulate.

When Muhyidin tells everyone to reform, that question must be directed at the leadership first. You reform and the UMNO people will respond. The top leadership must carry out massive leadership transformation by admitting into the leadership midst, a team of determined, driven and committed to public service individuals. Leaders past their shelf lives should just be asked to leave to make way for others. If they don't, then the UMNO people will change them.

This is where, the alpha leadership must play its role. They must decide the quality of its leadership team. They must start with the realization of the need for change in their midst. This whole business of governance and managing whole people is too complex for the ordinary members. It must be started at the top first.

Then only on the UMNO people and then the Malays. Look at the big picture. In Shell this is called the helicopter vision. The ability to see the big picture. The big picture is to understand the position in history of the Malays in a globalized world. How would a Malay takes his place in the world?

Definitely not by cocooning himself in a protective shell and environment, yelping at every turn, this is our right, that is our birthright. We can no longer stop the forces of change from engulfing us. The only way to survive is to be a player on the bigger stage; by first cultivating within UMNO , UMNO people and Malays the necessary skills sets ad tools. When the PM says, affirmative action policies remain but re-organized on the foundations of meritocracy, transparency, competitiveness, he is on to something. He knows the way to Malay salvation is some kind of entrepreneurial capitalism. People leveraging on the intrinsic capabilities, skills and abilities competing with others.

The PM looks around- he sees so many obstacles. The existence of these obstacles is because he too is at fault. He doesn't have a team of dedicated and determined caucus of similar thinking individuals pushing and articulating his agenda. He doesn't act fast to counter the thinking Perkasa represents which is no longer just confined to Perkasa operatives but also shared, deep inside UMNO citadels. He must demolish these internal hurdles. Remove them. 

His immediate step is to give credibility to those who go all out pushing his agenda. For example, right now, people are not interested when KJ battles Ibrahim Ali and similar thinking people- because PM Najib, the UMNO president hasn't shown his clear hand. But if he tells everyone, he is behind his KP on this, he gives credibility and many people will be interested.