By Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
May 19, 2012

MAY 19 — It offends UMNO that Malays choose to join DAP. Why does the action of Malays joining another legitimate political party which is not UMNO, induce that feeling? It springs from arrogance and political xenophobia. UMNO is the chauvinist party that sees people who reject it ( for whatever reasons they choose) as a betrayal to UMNO. That is what offends UMNO actually. They can’t understand why people can be `disloyal’ to UMNO. UMNO expects Malays to be loyal to it- but what principles and values does it offer that can sustain the much desired loyalty?

UMNO arrogantly believes that an UMNO Malay is the only Malay. So it offends UMNO to see Malays abandon UMNO as though, the Malay has converted into another race. UMNO is fast adopting the Hassan Aqidah Ali mentality.

Next it offends UMNO not being able to see an exodus of other Malays from DAP. Suddenly UMNO has credited Tunku Aziz with some extraordinary attributes that must without fail, encourage other Malays to leave DAP. Alas, Tunku Abdul Aziz is alone. UMNO’s hope that Tunku Aziz’s action can serve as the catalyst prompting other Malays in DAP to do likewise crumbles. Indeed, Tunku Aziz’s action reinforces the determination of Malays who joined DAP to stay put despite his U-turn.

Then it dawns on UMNO- despite them being feeble in mind, that people adopt a certain political stand not because of loyalty to a figure. Such loyalty is ephemeral. You will see that soon- as soon as Najib performs worse than Pak Lah, those fellas now tripoding Najib will abandon him like rats do to a sinking ship.

The real issue in my mind, is not about Tunku Aziz’s departure from DAP at all. It’s all about UMNO seeing this as chance to revive its own diminishing legitimacy. UMNO thinks, by being able to cast this action as a racial thing, it regains its own lost legitimacy as representative of the Malay voice. How many times have I said, that UMNO can’t event claim it’s representing the Malays. In 2008, UMNO candidates got only 2 million of the 5.7 million votes. That’s a clearer sign that UMNO is no longer relevant to Malays than Tunku Aziz’s exit from DAP.

Like UMNO’s favorite line when interpreting Tunku Aziz’s exit, the exodus of Malays from the UMNO mothership can only mean that Malays are no longer compatible with UMNO. If you are eager to arrive at such conclusion from Tunku Aziz’s exit, then you must apply the same line of reasoning and accordingly, conclusion regarding UMNO. Can?

If not, then see Tunku Aziz’s departure as it really is- the departure of one man who realises now that changing something cannot happen within a self-imposed time frame. Just like Tunku Aziz’s sudden eureka moment that Najib’s transformation takes time that same logic must be applied to whatever Tunku Aziz wishes to happen to DAP.

Except the problem with Tunku Aziz: – changes that Tunku Aziz wants in DAP must take place NOW, but the changes that Najib sloganises MUST be given a chance to take place. Why not the same treatment?

Since leaving DAP, Tunku Aziz has become UMNO media’s darling. He has been described as the Malay face that DAP can use to attract more Malays. What rubbish. Malays who joined DAP did not even include Tunku Aziz in their equation. He was an unknown political entity. It’s absolutely not true that DAP wanted to use Tunku Aziz as the face that would entice Malays into joining DAP. I find that offensive. The Malays who joined DAP find some resonance with the values and struggles which DAP espouses.

If the Malays joined DAP on account of Tunku Aziz’s presence and face, the party must take steps to weed these people out.

To repeat, UMNO is offended that Tunku Aziz’s exit did not create the opening the floodgates effect. UMNO is offended that Malays reject UMNO. UMNO’s longevity and legitimacy rests very precariously on its success to cast itself as the sole spokesman and savior of the Malays. It’s not.

If Malays don’t want to join DAP, there are better off joining PAS- the real Malay party founded on values and principles. UMNO? No principles and no integrity. It has as much integrity and principles as the plunderer and thief. It’s a sinking ship.

Why is UMNO worried at all about a handful of Malays being in DAP? It should encourage more Malays to join DAP to restructure DAP as a multiracial party. It should not stand in the way if Malays choose to join DAP. Unless of course, its very survival depends precisely in being able to keep alive the racist slants of Malaysian politics. Then having an opponent composed of only a single race or even races opposite of themselves, UMNO keeps itself alive. More Malays must join DAP to serve the bigger agenda of speeding up the demise of UMNO.

Thats how UMNO is. it can only survive on the misfortunes of others. It has never grounded its survival on the strength of its own principles and values.It Must depend on the weaknesses of others.

Who shall look after the lot of Malays then? Why should or must it be UMNO? UMNO hasn’t improved the lot of Malays despite having and placing Malays at leadership levels in politics, in government institutions etc. Malays dominate the land offices, served as director generals of departments, become district police chiefs, the State secretaries are almost exclusively Malays- does having Malays at these leadership positions helped the Malays? They have not achieved the desired results because the UMNO Malays helped out the chosen Malays.

We Malays don’t depend at all on UMNO. The laws of this land, the institutions of democracy and most of all our own industriousness and work, protect us. We absolutely don’t depend on UMNO.

My advice to Malays in DAP- don’t belabour yourselves with lofty agenda at the moment. The immediate agenda is to kick out xenophobic UMNO. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).