For the first time in Malaysian history, at least three incumbent Presidents of BN component parties will not be standing as candidates for their respective parties. They are MCA President Dr Chua Soi Lek, GERAKAN President Dr Koh Tsu Koon and SUPP President Peter Chin. They may be joined by a fourth – PPP President M.Kayveas.
Their non-candidacy is yet another indication of the emasculation of the BN component parties under the ‘rule’ of ‘Big Brother’ UMNO. Not only has UMNO forced other BN component parties to ‘return’ seats such as the Grik parliamentary seat (GERAKAN) and the Kuantan parliamentary seat (MCA) and the Pasir Panjang state seat in Perak (MIC) to ‘Big Brother’, there are strong indications that even more seats would be given to UMNO including Wangsa Maju in the Federal Territories (MCA) and the Gelang Patah seat in Johor (MCA) which I will be contesting in for the upcoming General Election.
If this trend continues, the Barisan Nasional (BN) might as well change its name to UMNO Plus since it will comprise of an over-dominant UMNO plus a number of powerless component parties helmed by Presidents whose candidacies are decided by the UMNO President.
Furthermore, by not contesting, these leaders have lost all legitimacy to lead their respective parties within the BN. They will not represent the BN in parliament or in the cabinet unless they take the ignominious road of being ‘back door’ Ministers via the Senatorship route which some, including Dr. KohTsu Koon, have shamelessly done. They will be sitting at the BN table as non-elected representatives while being surrounded by UMNO leaders who are elected representatives.
The notion that these leaders are stepping aside to allow younger blood to be groomed is even more laughable especially when Dr. Chua Soi Lek himself cannot guarantee that his ‘protégé’ in Gelang Patah, Jason Teoh, whom he showered with effusive praise in the past, will be able to contest in the MCA seat of Gelang Patah!
If all of these BN component leaders are serious about grooming younger blood to take over, then they should promise to step down as the Presidents of their respective parties after the 13th general election! To date, none of these leaders have made such a promise. This, in fact, is the worst kind of leadership by example – not daring to face the voters to get a mandate and yet, still wanting to be in charge of their respective parties.
If in the mother of all elections that is the 13th General Election, these BN component party leaders are not ready and able to stand up and face the voters but still want to remain as party presidents, then I call upon all Malaysians to reject all candidates belonging to these parties since they are being led by leaders who have lost their political and moral legitimacy to lead.
#1 by lauksnatlks on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 1:43 pm
What more can I say. Dump them to BIN. ABU ABU….
#2 by 1citizen on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 1:49 pm
It shows that Barisan Nasional is not at all about equality.
It shows that 1Malaysia is not about equal opportunity.
The trust for minority race parties from the minority people shows they do not actually represent Malaysia for Malaysian.
So, is this 1Malaysia from Barisan Nasional, the so-called preferred peoples choice?
#3 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 2:08 pm
MORAL LEGITIMACY? They lost it long long time ago. Their political legitimacy came from UMNO specifically because their true face of Perkasa could not be shown in public.
Mahathir is the patron of Perkasa and Chief Campaigner of UMNO/BN. There is just that many facade Mahathir and his Perkasa can maintain – it does not fool anyone..
But lets face it, even if they lose ALL THEIR SEATS, they would still hang around – humiliation of scraps and crumbs from Mahathirist is still better than dignity of poverty and true-self of worthlessness.
#4 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 2:14 pm
They are not worrying about contesting or not. They can walk in through the back door and get appointed as senators later on.
#5 by sotong on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 2:56 pm
Now you know who has total control of running the country to its present disgraceful and shameful stage….smaller component parties in BN has no say in how the country should be better and fairer managed.
#6 by yhsiew on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 3:31 pm
“Big Brother” UMNO is a “Big Bully” to the other smaller component parties in BN.
#7 by hiro on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 4:04 pm
BN stratagem will be to tell the people of Malaysia that this state of events are caused by DAP and that DAP is pitting Malays against the rest. They are shielding their “brethren” component party against the more effective campaign of DAP. DAP like the David Copperfield of Malaysian politics.
It’s a load of malarkey of course. If coalition partners of BN have lost, it is because people no longer believe that there is power sharing in BN, which means they now believe that BN is really just UMNO hegemony, that the BN facade is just a charade.
The Malays and the non-Malays in this country should now see BN for what it really is – that is comprises only of UMNO, whose culture of abuse of power, corruption, cronyism, commission taking and monopoly knows no limits. UMNO alone is no longer representative of the aspirations of all Malaysians.
But Malaysians are not short of choices. There is another coalition representing multi-culture, multi-racial and multi-religious- and if anything, they have demonstrated over the past 8 years that despite clear disagreements over ideology, they can come together for greater good. I will argue the case that they now represent the de-facto spirit of what it is to be a Malaysian – where diversity is strength and not a shame or a weakness.
The case for change, in my humble opinion, is clear. All that is required is focus until May 5, where for a few seconds, we need to summon our courage to change. Change isn’t so scary anymore, compared with 2008. Pakatan has amply demonstrated their ability to lead and make their states clean and prosper. All that is required is that bit of courage to change that will take us to a whole new level of inspired nationhood.
#8 by Dap man on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 4:28 pm
Najib is twisting ROS arm to deregister the DAP. Then why have the inquiry on Apr 18th? Why not after the elections?
#9 by highhand on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 6:44 pm
dap will lose legitimacy to contest, period
#10 by Loh on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:01 pm
///PETALING JAYA: Voting for Pakatan Rakyat will only remove Chinese representation from decision-making positions, said Perak MCA secretary Datuk Tan Chin Meng.///–the Star
If BN’s racial discriminating policies had MCA represented in the decision making process, we would rather not have Chinese at the meeting. Then Mamakthir would not have been able to say that MCA represented Chinese interest and they did not object, which means that Chinese agreed to being discriminated. Thank you MCA, we want to see MCA completely wiped out in the coming election.
#11 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:06 pm
But the ex-President of UMNO may contest Putrajaya against Husam Musa.
They are still trying to teach old dogs new tricks.
Woof-woof.
#12 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:22 pm
BN, like predecessor Alliance, is coalition front of 3 major communal parties UMNO, MCA and MIC leveraging on representation and support of the 3 major races Malays, Chinese Indians. Since 2008 debacle its clear UMNO has so marginalized the other 2 non Malay parties that they have totally lost support and legitimacy of the races that they are supposed to represent. That explains why “for the first time in Malaysian history, at least three incumbent Presidents of BN component parties will not be standing as candidates for their respective parties” and why the BN has become an UMNO’s clone to spear head and rely primarily on Malay votes alone (rather than Multiracial votes) for the 13th GE. This is an unprecedented paradigm shift. No one has had any experience whether a coalition that all the while has leveraged on voting support of 3 major races to maintain power for over half a century can still do so now in 13th GE when it has or is forced to leverage primarily on the voting support of only one race, which although it is majority, is however divided/distributed in terms of support between it and PAS and PKR in the opposition front. This is an untested experiment. It is a do or die mission. Anything then can happen. The only thing one can confidently expect in the period from now to polling day – is the unexpected!
#13 by john on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:35 pm
Bumno would want such “Presidents” in the coalition parties so they can be led on leash and by the nose. Proven “presidents” in name only, worst knowingly in full compliance of status quo to save own “skin and neck” and to reap the benefits and bask in limelight of falsehood and idiocy totally.
#14 by Saint on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:39 pm
UMNO is making a big mistake by thinking that the Malays can still be controlled by racial slurs. The the younger generation is better informed and as such UMNO is going to get a great shock this GE13. PAS and PKR are going to wipe out UMNO.
#15 by chengho on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:41 pm
Old man of politic should retire eh; unlike 70 something Pakatan refuse to pass the baton to younger generation , Kit you will never pass the baton to young Dapters rite
#16 by chengho on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 7:41 pm
old man of Pakatan refuse to retire
#17 by yhsiew on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 9:53 pm
It looks as if MCA, Gerakan and SUPP have already lost the battle even before stepping into the battle field!
未战先败!
#18 by sheriff singh on Saturday, 13 April 2013 - 11:29 pm
Najib did what an ordinary, reasonable man might do under the same circumstances, to survive – dump all unnecessary and heavy baggage.
He might just do the same to Rosmah.
#19 by chengho on Sunday, 14 April 2013 - 5:25 am
Rais Yatim = Kit= 72