All eyes were on the Umno party elections yesterday for indications whether the government and country will continue to be haunted, as in the half-year since the General Elections, by the politics of hate and lies projecting the completely false image that Malays and Islam are under siege or whether the government and country will be able to set off on a new trajectory of nation building and development.
Former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam played the race card to the hilt in the Umno party elections, continuing to indulge in Chinese-bashing for his defeat in the Malay-majority Bukit Katil parliamentary seat in Malacca, oblivious to the fact that he would not have lost in the May general elections if he had not also lost the support of the Malay voters in his constituency.
Is Ali going to blame the Chinese again for his loss in the Umno Vice President contest yesterday, where even the overwhelming majority of the Umno divisions in his Malacca state did not vote for him?
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir was equally irresponsible, ruthless and reckless in playing the race card, reiterating the preposterous allegations and lies since his failed attempt to racialise the Gelang Patah battle in the 13th General Elections that the Chinese in Malaysia were out to oust the political power of the Malays and dominate Malaysian politics.
But the Umno party elections yesterday is further confirmation that Mahathir’s aura and magic have been on an unchecked decline, not only among the Malaysian and Malay public from his 13th general elections campaigns in Gelang Patah, Shah Alam and Pasir Mas but also inside UMNO.
For some six months since the 13th General Elections on May 5, 2013, the government and country has been adrift, even regressing on many fronts on the various national transformation programmes pledged by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak – whether 1Malaysia Policy based on the concept of fairness to all; Government Transformation Programme to achieve an incorrupt, accountable and transparent governance; New Economic Model with a needs-and-merit based affirmative programme to uplift the quality of life of the low-income 40% of the households regardless of ethnic groups or backtracking on pledges to remove from the statute books oppressive legislation like detention-without-trial laws.
Malaysia should now move forward to end the half-year of drift and even regression from May 5 to Oct 19 to forge national reconciliation to build a united, inclusive, competitive and prosperous Malaysia for all Malaysians.
Pakatan Rakyat is prepared to fully co-operate with Najib and Barisan Nasional government in this national challenge – but has Najib and his government the political will, capacity and power to rise up to the occasion?
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 20 October 2013 - 12:17 pm
Its true that Mahathir’s personal influence is likely on the decline but its still significant likely for a while but more importantly, in NO WAY ARE HIS IDEAS on the decline. The incumbency theme means only that change is NOT winning especially when you look at the big win of Zahid Hamidi and others in the Supreme Council that have all adopted Mahathir’s way – AND when their challenge (i.e., the so-called Najib’s team) are FAKE PROGRESSIVE, that really just not as racist or religo-extremist but still pretty much into abusing the power of govt and just as unjust to most of us.
We are not adrift. We are pretty much in the hard part of any battle – when the going starts to get tough and it will only get tougher and harder. Listen to Zahid Hamidi arrogance of thanking the online media for his big win – it has not even begun with him.
#2 by boh-liao on Sunday, 20 October 2013 - 3:11 pm
BIG FAT hope dat under d minority-elected UmnoB gomen, dis nation will or can advance forward, ban ban tan lor
#3 by Di Shi Jiu on Sunday, 20 October 2013 - 8:24 pm
It is commendable of Pakatan to look ahead and think of national reconciliation given the tumultuous last six months of racial and religious rhetoric from UMNO.
With the hub-bub dying down from the UMNO elections, it will be interesting to see if the leadership group in UMNO do have the interests of all Malaysians at heart.
It will take great courage by UMNO leaders to accept Pakatan’s offer to work together on building a stronger Malaysia for all Malaysians.