— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
May 22, 2012

MAY 22 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reiterated his advice for Umno leaders to discard self-interest and acts of sabotage to ensure a Barisan Nasional (BN) victory in the next general election.

There are two things that stuck out as very sore thumbs in the above statement. Both are never the hallmarks of Umno. Indeed if they are practised, Umno ceases to be Umno. They are the elimination of self-interest and absence of acts of sabotage. Asking Umno people not to sabotage and to disown personal interest is like asking a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

Dr Mahathir does not only walk on water, he is also the chief spokesman for oxymoronicracy.

Since the creation of Umno Baru in 1988, every Umno leader who has assumed the mantle of leadership has been motivated by self-interests. What’s more, they are motivated by the desire to perpetuate the self-interests, where self-preservation is top of the list. It will be interesting to investigate these fellers’ bank account when they are no longer in power.

Sabotaging is second nature to Umno people, by incumbents who are no longer chosen to stand or by aspiring candidates scheming and plotting to overthrow incumbents. What is absent from Umno? A sense of purpose and a cause to fight for. So if we want an example of oxymoronicracy, Dr Mahathir is its foremost spokesman.

Let’s dissect the substance behind the statement by Dr Mahathir in Jitra the other day. What do we make of this statement?

This is a clear sign that all is not well in Umno. He has to reiterate. He has to remind. Someone asked me the same question I posed some time ago: if Umno is in dire straits, doesn’t that mean easy defeat of them? So why bother writing about Umno? Just ignore them. Let them destroy themselves by their won devices.

No can do. We write about Umno to speed up its demise. To hasten its exit from the seat of power so that the real interests of the people are taken care of. We bash Umno because it has something that we want. Power to do good as opposed power having done evil. We are not power crazy, but we want to take away power from crazy people. All Umno leaders and ministers are replaceable. Who can do worse than them? If Najib can become PM, this means anyone can too.

Now, Mahathir the man who I described as one who can walk on water is giving out unsolicited advice. I am not sure if anyone cares to listen to him nowadays. He has contradicted himself so many times. During an interview with BBC, the interviewer read from a speech Dr Mahathir once spoke from, quoting passages from that speech. Dr Mahathir can cavalierly deny he said that. He said that with a straight face. Dr Mahathir is utterly honest even when he is lying. Now that is an oxymoron.

The polygraph machine doesn’t work on Dr Mahathir. Wasn’t he the one who was the chief saboteur to Umno, doing whatever he could to unseat Pak Lah? He even left Umno as it was preparing for elections.

Other than Dr Siti Hasmah, his constant companion is Ibrahim Ali. But then Ibrahim Ali’s most noticeable personal trait is his sycophancy. Ibrahim is a perennial rival to PAS’s Mat Sabu. The latter says while it’s true he isn’t good looking as Shahrukh Khan, he is a little handsomer than Ibrahim Ali. But Mat Sabu doesn’t know Ibrahim’s portrait is a best seller with padi farmers. His portrait, when placed at strategic points in padi fields, scares the living daylights out of pesky birds, rodents and other pests.

Just a little diversion folks. Let’s get back to the main issue.

Dr Mahathir is back to the scare tactics for which he is an accomplished master. The intent of his exhortations and pleadings are clear — Malaysia is finished without Umno and Malays are finished without Umno. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

When the Congress Party of India was defeated, that didn’t stop India from growing further, when the LDP (Japan’s Umno) lost the Japanese rushed forward without missing a heartbeat. When Indonesia’s Umno (Golkar) lost, Indonesia appeared to be placed on a better footing. Umno and Malaysia are no exception. Malaysia does not depend on Umno to survive and Malays can dispense with Umno.

We can’t depend on a party whose very future in turn depends on another person. We can’t depend on a party whose survival depends on the continued peddling of pornographic material in the media. We can’t stake our future on a party led by a Larry Flynt. (He is the owner of Hustler magazine). A most memorable quote from Larry Flynt: wherever there is a scandal, we try to get involved. That’s Umno for you.

Now you have people like Ustazah Umi Hafilda, Ezam Mat Nor, Hasan Aqidah Ali and Zul Nordin fighting for Umno’s cause. A dirty job by dirty people.

He just doesn’t get it; people don’t want the continuation of BN administration in the country. People see BN as the perpetrator of empty promises, people see BN as the abuser of power. BN especially Umno is the embodiment of corruption and deceit. Umno is no longer the preferred choice as the political platform to advance the cause of the greater good.

And his scariest statement of all, defeat of Umno would be akin to the Malays losing power in their own country. How can Malays lose power? If Umno loses, the people replacing them will be other Malays. If Najib loses in Pekan, the person who defeats him is Malay. So how can a Malay lose power when it’s another Malay replacing the Umno reject?

Let’s take on Dr Mahathir in what he says? What are the elements that make up the constitution of the Malay? His religion? No one disturbs his religion. It’s enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution. It’s therefore protected by the laws of the land which no one challenges. The DAP accepts that. Islam is the official religion. The position of Islam doesn’t therefore depend on the existence of Umno. It’s protected not by Umno but by the Constitution of Malaysia.

Is there anyone threatening the use of Malay language? It’s accepted as the official language. We know language is an integral part of the Malay people. No one in their right frame of mind is against the use of the Malay language.

The main ingredients that constitute the Malay — his language, his religion and his cultural make-up including the institution of the Malay Rulers — are protected by the laws of the land. They are not protected by Umno. Whoever comes after Umno are not going to disturb the provisions of the laws of the land.

Just remember this — in 2004 when Malaysians gave Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Umno’s greatest victory, the people were actually rejoicing at the exit of Mahathir. It’s downhill for Umno ever since. That victory has proven to be the pride before the inevitable fall. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

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