UMNO: speaking when the chips are down?

It doesn't matter if people think UMNO speaks in bellicose language when chips are down. Indeed, UMNO must always behave as though it is besieged. What would you rather do? Allow the UMNO heartland be taken over by NGOs such as Perkasa? Or allow Pas and PKR capture UMN's source of support? Allow the basic beliefs in UMNO's struggle to grow limp? Then you lose by default.

UMNO must speak on the issues that it is meant to do. Speak about issues affecting Malays. Address their fears. Reassure them. Except that we speak with the voice of reason and moderation. Perkasa is not UMNO nor is UMNO dictated by what Perkasa does. UMNO is not ready to abdicate.

The sore point about Perkasa's message is that UMNO under the leadership of DS Najib wants to abandon the policies laid down by the NEP. The NEP has been replaced by other policies not less committed to achieving what the NEP set out to do.

Not true.

But DS Najib is looking at the big picture now. The affirmative policies are still there but leavened with other factual foundations. You must leverage on competitiveness, good governance, meritocracy and transparency. The mocking cynicism is expected because, its true there have been many transgressions and abuses. Cronyism and corruption. They are all there. Yet, these shouldn't be an excuse not to press on with the NEM and the new vision of UMNO.

It does not matter if Najib and Muhyidin play the good and bad cop roles. One has to keep its ship on even keel. Allowing others to hijack UMNO causes would be a stupid way of managing UMNO.

If there is anything we can learn from the enthusiastic reception of Perkasa, it is the revelation that the Malay heartland is not quite ready to embrace Najib's 1 Malaysia concept. This is primarily due to the fact, that Najib hasn't explained his vision properly yet. But he is after all only over a year into his premiership. I suspect, his cabinet colleagues have not fully understood the concept yet too.

So what Muhyidin has done is to take action so that UMNO's core causes are not eroded by some young upstart. He is sending the signals that while it's true that Najib is embarking on his 1Malaysia vision, the fundamentals of UMNO's mission and reason for existence remain. What Muhyidin does is to reassure the Malays that their best bet is with UMNO.

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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. 

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UMNO: Stepping up to the next level.

 

Ibrahim Ali formed PERKASA he says on a very non event note. Some 30 people got together in one restaurant and Ibrahim Ali started the ball rolling. He never dreamt the group he assembled hastily would steamroll into something big. As a result he became emboldened. Now, Donald Lim who is probably of the same height as Ibrahim Ali wants to set a Chinese PERKASA. This is clearly retaliatory politics. Stupid move.

What's this with height-challenged people? They have this Napoleon complex where short people overcompensate their shortness with audacious ideas and thinking?

I suspect the government will not disallow the MCA people, if they want to set up a Chinese PERKASA. I thought they existed already- Suqiu? Wasn't this an organization operating on all things Chinese agenda? DAP is already here. With its brand of Chinese first politics, no matter how strenuously it tries to deny, DAP has a clear advantage over MCA. MCA must, like UMNO show it is the voice of reason.

Similarly UMNO must show it's the voice of reason. Yes it performs its role as keeper of Malay interests but does so in a reasonable fashion acceptable to non Malays. For that reason, it must distance itself from the PERKASA approach.

What's happening is, by default, by doing nothing, UMNO forfeits its role for the Malays. It must overcome this by reassuring that although, UMNO is for Malays , it governs all in Malaysia. Those who want to rule and govern over their ethnic groups only, are welcome to play the politics of extremism.

The more important question, what is the government doing? If these two organizations are allowed to flourish, its governance gone stupid. By default, through your elegant silence, you allow ethnicities and racism to set upon each other's throat. The government cannot sit idly by.

UMNO cannot allow its legitimacy be undermined and undercut by PERKASA. The issues that are championed by PERKASA are the issues that UMNO has always fought for. The fact that Malay leaders are not more attracted to the PERKASA's choice can only signal, that the present day UMNO is on the wrong footing. All these talks about liberalism is giving the impression that Najib is distancing from UMNO's core beliefs of championing Malay interests with reason.

The impression is not true. Affirmative actions will still be in place but they are going to be leavened with transparency, merit and competitiveness. Unfortunately, UMNO hasn't articulated its core philosophies clearly and reassuringly. Its inaction allowed Perkasa to gain the upper hand. The reality is Perkasa is an upstart that is gnawing at UMNO's base. Ibrahim Ali is nothing but he appears bigger than life, because UMNO has developed rigor mortis.

Clearly the UMNO leadership is at fault here. It hasn't move quickly enough to snuff out the spark that is Perkasa which has alighted the whole UMNO prairie now.

The UMNO president is onto something worthwhile for every Malay and Malaysian to adopt as a cause. It isn't a new cause. It was what Tun Razak began when he set out the NEP- which had the overriding objective of national unity. Except now, its rehashed in a new and contemporary term- 1 Malaysia.

Because the PM believes and it's a belief that is worth sharing, that the more integrated our society is rather than ghettoized, the better the country is for economic development and political stability.

The problem with many of us, particularly the Malays is, we defend a proposition more because it is politically correct. Hence anyone, who opposes what Perkasa champions can easily be labeled as not Malay enough or not nationalistic enough. The advancement, the prosperity and the elevation of Malays do not require the prescriptions offered by Perkasa simply because they are not based on factual foundation.

What is the factual foundation?

The factual foundation is, economic progress and prosperity require whole societies feeling driven. You need that drive and the feeling of being driven. Simply put, Najib must develop Malays into go getters.

I think the PM is on to something when he says affirmative action will stay but they will operate on driven principles- work, merits, transparency and competitiveness. The problem is, he hasn't asked his people to develop these ideas into coherent whole and he hasn't asked his people to develop his ideas into a practical package.

The faster he has a new team infused with the same cause, the better it is for UMNO and Malaysia.

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Is KJ the Tonto to Najib’s Lone Ranger?

DS Najib is a Lone Ranger on many issues. I have touched about this in a previous article. The Lone Ranger has a Tonto. And on many issues, Najib's Tonto seems to be his Ketua Pemuda.

My friend Aspan Alias through his blog has written something unpleasant about KJ- the ketua Pemuda UMNO. Until today, Aspan has always been fair to KJ. He asked the same question that I have often asked. How do we reconcile the fact that the UMNO KP hasn't been appointed to any post in the government. There is a glaring blot in the power structure. The MCA Youth Head, the MCA wanita previously, the deputy KP of UMNO were all given posts. But until today, KJ hasn't got anything yet.

You want him to enter the battle fields, but you encumber his arsenal. He hasn't got sufficient tools to do battle.

Aspan's sore point is his perception that KJ hasn't matured all round. His conclusion rests on KJ's clash with Ibrahim Ali on a number of issues. He thinks it better if KJ focuses on meatier issues such as Malay economic interests.

But I would like to look at the subtle messages that Aspan has written. The two top UMNO leaders are speaking at cross purposes. Najib is speaking as a liberal. He is perceived to be all things to all people. He needs the Chinese votes and he needs the Indian votes. Otherwise his 1Malaysian concept is hollow. Muhyidin on the other hand is championing Malay causes. He is more in tandem with Ibrahim Al's Perkasa and by extension to what Dr Mahathir is espousing. I am not surprised , despite the public endorsements to Najib's administration, Dr Mahathir finds a better soul mate in Muhyidin than Najib.

Thus Najib has to be careful here. He has to strike a balance between pursuing his vision of 1Malaysia and Dr Mahathir's trenchant criticism in waiting. I say in waiting because sooner or later, the bubble will burst.

Where does KJ fit into the whole scheme of things? He appears to be the only UMNO leader championing what Najib is thinking of. I am told that PM Najib isn't that too enthusiastic that Perkasa is stealing his thunder. I hear he would encourage the emergence of Malay NGOs to counter balance Ibrahim' Perkasa. But as I have written, that would be too late as the horses have already bolted. Thus he has no other choice but to rely on internal resources to contain Ibrahim's growing credence among the Malays. Left unchecked, Perkasa's inroad into the Malay heartland with Ibrahim's brand of right wing politics will undermine Najib's 1 Malaysia.

We have to ask then, what motivates KJ to enter into skirmishes with Ibrahim and used Ibrahim, as Aspan said, as the standard measure of everything that is at odds with Najib?

The only possible reason to explain KJ's emboldened approach in dealing with Ibrahim is, that this is what Najib actually wants. If KJ was the only one responding correctly to Najib's messages, then I say, this is to KJ's credit.

In my experience as a former ADUN and Ketua Penerangan UMNO Pekan, the KP sits in the powerful UMNO political bureau. PM Najib may have expressed misgivings about what Perkasa has been doing and by doing so must have hoped that his able committee members would pick up the cudgels and bludgeon Ibrahim Ali.

As an important member of the bureau, KJ must have read the signals from Najib to put a damper on Ibrahim's unsolicited championing of the Malay cause. Ibrahim Ali is not an UMNO member and his Perkasa appears to be a magnet for any disgruntled UMNO person. This is probably the sore point of many loyal UMNO leaders and Ketua Bahagians who would welcome a strong and firm rebuke from UMNO.

I would interpret what KJ has done by crossing swords with Ibrahim Ali and the recently free agent of an MP of Wangsa Maju, as interpreting what the UMNO president actually wants. That would make KJ as more perceptive than the other dull Janes and Jacks in UMNO.

Muhyiddin isn't seen to be in sync with Najib, the 3 VPs are immersed in their own politics, the wanita leader is thinking of getting a legitimate elected seat. So KJ picks up the cudgels to do battle with Ibrahim and Ibrahim's equivalents.

What KJ has done will not be interpreted as immature if the UMNO president himself lends his weight on KJ. I am puzzled that between his own KP and the strident voices emanating from Ibrahim's quarters, UMNO President Najib hasn't shown his clear hand.

He should be supporting his KP. Once he does that, I assure you all the UMNO people will be saying well done KJ. I know because that's the UMNO culture.

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Occidental hospitality

 
11. Personally I don't care for any special treatment for me when I travel abroad. But at Heathrow, London, I was treated as a terrorist. I had to take off my shoes, belt and coat and was body searched for weapons by British security before I was allowed to go through.

12. I was reminded of the Hindi film, starring Shah Rukh Khan entitled, "My name is Khan", in which Khan tried to meet the President of the United States to tell him, "Mr President, my name is Khan. I am not a terrorist".

13. I felt like shouting should I meet Mr Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, "Mr Prime Minister, my name is Mahathir. I am the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. I am not a terrorist".


 

I read this at TDM's blog. I am appalled our former PM is treated in such a shabby manner. Where are the UMNO people who have benefited from his leadership and patronage and sometimes character defense?

When Tun visited the UK wasn't the high commissioner or Malaysian embassy alerted? I think it is only right when our former PM visits a foreign land , our embassy staff should be on hand to receive him.

When the former Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam was treated in a similar manner by ground staff of American Continental Airlines at Indira Ghandi airport, it caused an uproar in the Indian Parliament. A motion was moved to condemn such a shabby treatment visited upon a former president.

Now, who is the joker who is in charge of our foreign ministry? Why wasn't a protest note handed over to the British government? This kind of response requires telling from someone else for you to work?

Why can't a motion be moved to condemn such a humiliating incident in our Malaysian parliament?  Perhaps it's time to show the world, that Malaysia can also respond in like manner to former PMs and presidents of other nations.

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Saving UMNO

 

Dr Mahathir retired in 2003. In 2004 his successor, our 5^th PM took us through the GE11. UMNO won big. The period 2004-2008, can be said to be wholly Pak Lah's era. He took many measures. He carried out a lot of programs. He brought perestroika onto local politics. He gave too much room to UMNO people. They became critical and at the same time, went out of control.

The freedom given, tuned many lesser UMNO leaders into political fiends. Nazri Aziz was particularly fiendish when he continuously belittled and berated Tun Dr Mahathir. When he did that, I thought this is it. You are hitting at the great helmsman.

I find some parallels of what happened in UMNO with what happened in Tiananmen square. Zhao Ziyang was liberal and gave too much space to students and Chinese citizens. They were at first given freedom to agitate for democracy even though as admitted by many students, they didn't know what democracy meant, but wanted more of it anyway. But when the freedom spilled over to explicit criticism towards Deng Hsiaoping, that was it. The Chinese government sent in the tanks. Li Peng, the hardliner won the day and he was supported by Deng.

Nazri and his ilk did just that. You hit back at a former premier who governed for 22 years who gave Malaysians a sense of purpose and pride, you can't expect not to suffer consequences. Pak Lah wanted to be loved more than to be feared. By fear, I don't mean, he orders people to be shot or incarcerated indiscriminately. Fear as in firm and resolute and having a just do it attitude.

When GE12 came, the BN was severely mauled. The opposition won several states and got 82 parliamentary seats. Now of course the Opposition has less MPs as a result of defections. It also lost Perak when its members reneged and went over to the dark other side.

On all accounts, Pak Lah has been failure. He failed to win big in the elections. The losses incurred reflect what is wrong with the BN its policies. But it was also a reflection of heightened political and social awareness.

Pak lah's failure is also Dr Mahathir's failure. It reflected badly on him as far as picking choices is concerned. He has failed in this aspects several times already. Beginning with Musa, then Ghafar Baba and then Anwar Ibrahim. He wasn't able to bring in a good running mate. Pak lah was smart in the sense he kept his true self concealed. He later proved to be not docile as expected by Dr Mahathir

When he began dismantling many of Tun Mahathir's legacy and projects, that unleashed the master's fury. The unleashing proved fatal as it galvanizes moves to oust Pak Lah from office even before his tenure was completed. We can say, this was a palace coup. Orchestrated by people within UMNO leadership itself, drawing impetus from the attacks by Dr Mahathir.

Beyond the clash of egos, we can look at the politics in this way. We have failed to develop a system of self continuity in which the best and ablest can come forward. Much of the fault lies with Dr Mahathir too. Because he wasn't able to put in place a system that ensures self continuity which require space for the best and ablest. Instead he puts in place a system, where the second best and mediocre rise to the top to ensure the same system is replicated. In UMNO the quota system designed to prevent busybodies and crackpots from challenging the president's position. The system proved to be a hurdle for the emergence of credible leaders who can offer competitive values.

Instead we have a system, where self perpetuation is the driving force. The system breaks down, when it elevates people not up to their job. Pak Lah proved to be inadequate for the job. The jury is still out on Najib although he is showing dangerous signs of also being inadequate. Many UMNO people, deep in their hearts are not saying that Najib is doing a good job. UMNO may implode during his watch. Already the UMNO grassroots are thinking how to save UMNO.

It may because, we haven't put a system where the ablest and brightest can offer themselves to public service. We have a lot of cartoon characters yes. But the ablest and brightest are shying away from UMNO.

The problem with Pak Lah is- he wanted to be loved and not feared. He didn't study the Prince which postulates that it's better to be loved or feared or both. If one has to choose one, then to be feared is better. Not sure if he was loved. But certainly he wasn't feared at all. he lets loose all the Kraken in UMNO and in the BN component parties. MCA an MIC demanded so many things that people were saying, during Mahathir's time, these parties were all muted.

Look at the leadership of UMNO now. you have the 3 vice presidents. You have the Sabahan who always seem to be diffident and has a nervous energy emanating from him. You have the defense minister from Perak who says he is just looking at the papers passing through his desk. And then you have that ow, ow Minister of Home affairs.

….to be continued

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The MIC Dilemma

My bet is, its not going to be curtains down yet for Samy. He's not saying his long goodbye. He makes sure everything is in order. He wont want his legacy to evaporate as soon as he leaves.  He will deal one last lethal blow to his political adversaries. He will most likely sack  Dato Subramaniam. That will pave the way for a clearer succession plan for Minister Subramaniam and Palanivel. Samy has Sothinathan to look out for. Most probably Sothy will  be given a post to prevent him becoming a spoiler.

Everyone seems to be writing off Samy Vellu. He is said to be discredited. The MIC is said to be better off getting rid of him. The people behind GAS are perplexed as to why the BN leadership, in particular DS Najib still tolerate Samy Vellu.

Just suppose, Samy Vellu is asked to go now. who shall fill in the leadership vacuum? Minister Subra? Whisky Subra? Anyone else? None with his presence. He is MIC's MGR. Samy is bigger than Sivaji the Boss. Samy is King.

As paradoxical as it may sound, the MIC still needs Samy Velly to lead MIC. The other people don't have his presence. Now, you can interpret his 'presence' as anything- ranging from a bullying posture, daring people to fight him, baring his hairy chest. You name it, but the MIC needs Samy Vellyu still.

What will happen is , Samy Vellu will draw up a succession plan. He will go off on his terms. As to the BN leadership, they need a solid MIC to support them. MCA can no longer be relied on to deliver votes as its supremacy among Chinese is challenged by other Chinese parties. MIC on the other hand, doesn't have a credible challenger. HIndraft? It has gone limp even before engaging. PPP? It's a basket case reduced to begging for scraps in the form of MP and ADUN seats.

For all we know, Samy may have struck a deal with the BN chairman. He is committed to relinquish the MIC post and probably has presented the BN chairman with an acceptable succession plan. He may probably be appointed as an elder MIC ombudsman, advising the MIC while playing the role as point man between MIC and BN. On top of that, in recent months, Samy Vellu has helped secured UEM some valuable infrastructure contracts in India. In recognition of that, maybe the PM will appoint Samy as ambassador at large to tap the Indian market.

In recent days, we heard vintage Samy declaring that those who are out to destroy MIC will be politically killed off. What is the weapon that he has? He has demonstrated the efficacy of the weapon by sacking a few MIC stalwarts . he has executive presidential powers which he can and has used to kill off pesky MIC members.

So, at the end of the MIC assembly this weekend, we can expect Samy Vellu to deal his final blows on those MIC members he regards as threats who are out to destroy MIC.

I am betting, that he will sack whisky Subramaniam.

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