Umno inciting power struggle with dominant DAP role, says Pakatan


By Melissa Chi
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders scorned Umno’s latest strategy to portray DAP as the dominant party in the opposition pact as an attempt to incite a power struggle among the three political allies.

“They say that PAS is being used by DAP, this is the strategy they use among the Malays, Muslim. With the Chinese, they say that PAS is using the Chinese. “They have used that for some time now but people know that even in terms of figures and numbers, DAP is stronger but we work collectively,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali told The Malaysian Insider over the phone yesterday.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang pointed out that Malays will continue to be the majority population in the country but Umno is creating the fear that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, and anti-ruler.

He reiterated his support of the constitutional monarchy.

“Nobody has undermined the Malay rulers. It is Umno and Umno leaders themselves,” he said, adding that BN leaders are contradicting themselves in their attacks against PR.

“In Barisan Nasional, it is very obvious that Umno is the hegemon and now they say that DAP is the dominant party. What has Chua Soi Lek been saying? MCA has been saying? That DAP is the puppet to PKR, to PAS, that the rights of the Chinese would be completely lost (in our hands).

“Now you have Umno saying the rights of the Malays will be completely lost. Who is lying?” he said.

Attacks against the opposition party have served as a focal point for this year’s Umno assembly, with delegates accusing DAP leaders of marginalising Malays in PR states, and challenging the sanctity of Islam as the country’s “official religion”.

While some have dismissed renewed attacks against DAP as mere “Pakatan bashing,” some Umno leaders have insisted that DAP poses a “real threat” to Malays, and that a future with DAP in power would spell disaster for the community.

Umno minister, Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin admitted yesterday his party viewed DAP as its biggest threat in the next general election, but he confidently predicted that PKR and PAS could be beaten.

He reasoned that this was why delegates had focused their attacks on DAP when speaking about PR throughout the Umno annual general assembly so far.

PKR Vice-President Chua Tian Chang, said the strategy used during the general assembly this week is not new that Umno is “creating fear among Malays and is finding a target which allows them to continue their racist discourse”.

“Playing this game is bad for the society and if we continue to prolong this sort of racial polarisation, creating fear among the Chinese against Islam and Islamic party and create fear among Malays against Chinese-based parties.

“The same tone used against DAP is directed to Gerakan and MCA as well if you listen to the speeches by delegates,” he said.

The Batu MP said the continuous use of racial politics will have a negative impact to the society.

“It’s very sad that all these years, Umno has not gone beyond this narrow racial discourse in the national assembly and we have seen it year in and year out. Nothing has changed,” he said.

Lim said Umno is a threat to the Malaysian “unity, it comes from Umno creating racial and religious animosity, mistrust, hate and antagonism”. He pointed out that if PR has an increase in votes, it is not the Malay who will lose power, but rather the “Umno and Umno Puteras”.

“Overall, the whole Umno assembly, the speeches, by the president, the deputy president and the delegates, we can sense that they are worried that this is probably their last Umno general assembly as the party in power and that’s why they have resorted to very desperate politics of fear and to create scare among the Malays,” the Ipoh Timor MP said.

  1. #1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:16 am

    We all know these lies are basically one last push to hold on to old order. Its a ponzi scheme for sure. However, given UMNO long tenure, they have the advantage of momentum AND overwhelming machinery on their side. This is a very elaborate and well-financed ponzi scheme and people especially UMNO people are weak-willed.

    Granted eventually it will fall apart but PR has its own problem if it does not really do very very well. PR cannot just hold on to 308 OR worst backtrack even a little. While the comming GE battle is not a do or die for PR, a retreat is no small blow but a forward one who kill UMNO/BN..

  2. #2 by waterfrontcoolie on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:17 am

    There is just ONE Conclusion: DESPERATION! They just can not explain all the Gates from PKFZ to Cow gate; this is mere diversion of issues they can NEVER explain to Malaysians. Since their ideology is to swim and sink together notwithstanding that all these swindlings can only burden the majority of Malaysians they claimed to protect. With no explanation, DAP is the cheapest shot available.

  3. #3 by k1980 on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:43 am

    The only other country in the same situation is Iraq, where the American occupiers are playing off the Sunnis against the Shiites, creating fear, distrust and armed clashes between the 2 groups

  4. #4 by monsterball on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:45 am

    Race and religion politics at it’s dirtiest stage.
    Our so call “1Malaysia” unelected PM tongue is sharp…building up hatreds amongst Malaysians.
    The way he spoke…he is hoping angers will erupt and fights start at the streets.
    PR politicians will never fall for such low class traps.

  5. #5 by k1980 on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:45 am

    Does umno want this country to end up like Rwanda, where Hutus and Tutsis slit each other’s throats the moment they set eyes on each other?

  6. #6 by monsterball on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 10:19 am

    It is again….Najib saying..”Trust me. Anwar is telling lies” ….all at Sunday.. Star paper…and showing a young Muslim girl signed up to vote for him.

  7. #7 by yhsiew on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 11:08 am

    The reason why racist Umno frantically played the race and religion cards in the just concluded Umno Assembly 2011 is because it is a desperate party facing annihilation and extermination in the coming 13th GE.

  8. #8 by habis on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 2:46 pm

    It is obvious Umno can no longer depend on MCA to bring in the Chinese votes so playing the racial cards to frighten the Malays just goes toshow how desperate Umno is no matter what are the consequences so long as they can hang on to their powers to reap the bounty of rewards.Young Malaysians are enlightened and they will no longer be blinded and mislead by all the false promises of the corrupt regime and ready to Change this Government for BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR ALL MALAYSIANS

  9. #9 by rockdaboat on Sunday, 4 December 2011 - 9:52 pm

    UMNO thinks that only UMNO malays are smart and ALL other malays are stupid.

    Just look at the level they have stooped.

    More than pathetic!!!!!!

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