Tomorrow, Friday, 24th March 2017, will be an important day in the political history of Malaysia for Malaysians will know whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has changed the character of consensus-based Barisan Nasional founded by his father Tun Razak 14 years ago in 1973 into a coalition operating solely under the dictates of UMNO hegemony.

Last Friday, Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi announced that the government will take over PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill in Parliament to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355, but the MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other Sabah/Sarawak Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders claim that they knew nothing about it and never agreed to it.

There is no need at this stage to go into the merits or demerits of the bill, although there are attempts by irresponsible, divisive and destructive quarters to brand those who criticize or even oppose Hadi’s private member’s bill as anti-Islam, forgetting that the Sarawak Chief Minister, Datuk Abang Johari Tun Openg (a Muslim) had upheld the stand of the previous Sarawak Chief Minister, Adenan Satem (another Muslim) and directed all the 25 Sarawak Barisan Nasional MPs (which included four Muslim Federal Ministers) to reject Hadi’s private member’s bill motion.

Has Najib changed the consensus character of Barisan Nasional, where everyone of the 13 Barisan Nasional component parties must give consent and agreement before a policy, measure or decision can be regarded as Barisan Nasional policy, measure or decision into one where the Barisan Nasional is only a coalition in name but accepts UMNO hegemony, where what UMNO leaders want and desire become the law in Barisan Nasional?

Has Barisan Nasional changed its character to an extent where the Deputy Transport Minister can publicly reprimand the political stand of the Transport Minister, just because the Deputy Transport Minister comes from UMNO while the Transport Minister is from MCA, although MCA President? Read the rest of this entry »