Archive for category UMNO
May the farce be with you
Posted by Kit in Mariam Mokhtar, Najib Razak, UMNO on Sunday, 20 December 2015
Mariam Mokhtar | December 20, 2015
Free Malaysia Today
Why the Umno general assembly failed to be a bore buster.
Several thousand Umno-Baru fans rolled-out the red carpet for the premiere of the “The Farce Awakens,” which was held at the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) on December 11.
Four days later, in Los Angeles, Star Wars fans queued for days for the premiere of the much awaited Disney blockbuster, “The Force Awakens.” Critics praised it as the best Star Wars film ever made.
To compensate for the long queues, the Star Wars producers should have taken the lead from Umno-Baru leaders, who bussed in thousands of its supporters and decked them in shades of red. The elite among them were dropped off in the latest Porsches, Maybachs, Hummers, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, making it look as though all the stars of Star Wars had driven to the PWTC.
Whilst the Star Wars films are classic tales of the fight between Good and Evil, and of heroes, heroines, loyal troops, action, drama and romance, the Malaysian “The Farce Awakens” is a repeat of the same old drivel perpetuated by Umno-Baru since its formation in 1988. Read the rest of this entry »
A new political realignment is in the works – where UMNO-PAS co-operation could be more powerful and far-reaching than UMNO’S coalition with the other 13 BN parties
Posted by Kit in MCA, Najib Razak, PAS, UMNO on Saturday, 19 December 2015
A new political realignment is in the works in the political demography in Malaysia, driven by Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s overpowering passion to survive as Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of UMNO despite all odds, including his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals.
This is why the advanced courtship between Najib and the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang has graduated from secret conclaves to the public domain, cemented by Hadi’s role as the pre-eminent defender of Najib in the Prime Minister’s twin mega scandals in the past few months.
In May, Hadi had publicly said that Najib should not bow down to pressures from the 1MDB scandal and should not resign as Prime Minister.
In July, Hadi was quick to come to the defence of Najib after the Wall Street Journal expose of RM2.6 billion deposits into Najib’s personal banking accounts before the May 2013 General Election, demanding for witnesses without which the Wall Street Journal allegation should be ignored.
As a result, the relationship between Najib and Hadi became increasingly warm and friendly in the last few months. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno’s regressive, harmful discourse
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Political Islam, UMNO on Thursday, 17 December 2015
Netusha Naidu
The Malaysian Insider
17 December 2015
A lot has been said about the recent Umno general assembly, especially the president’s speech as presented by Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Instead of making the usual commentary of my own opinions about its contents, I felt that a discourse analysis would have been more appropriate to shed some light on the matters that drew my attention.
A discourse analysis is when we look at the usage of language by particular parties and how the messages are being conveyed to intended audiences. Most of time, such methods are used to display the variety of approaches that authors take to portray certain ideologies. As a result, we learn that some ideas become more dominant than others. All because of how it is being articulated and who is the proponent of those ideas.
What appeared most central of all my observations in the speech was the wordplay of Islamism that has ultimately dominated the entire text. This should come as no surprise to most of us. After all, religion has been something that we have been obsessing over lately. Not just within the country, but globally as well, in the light of the escalating violence of Isis, the preposterous call for banning Muslims by Donald Trump and a severe refugee crisis in Europe. Read the rest of this entry »
Proof of utter failure in Malaysian nation-building when the sixth Prime Minister asked last week: Whether UMNO President should be an ultra or pro-Malay only and must be Islamic or not?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 17 December 2015
It is proof of the utter failure in Malaysian nation-building when the sixth Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak asked at the UMNO General Assembly last Thursday: Whether UMNO President should be an ultra or pro-Malay only and must be Islamic or not?
Has Najib forgotten or abandoned his 1Malaysia signature policy which he proclaimed with such fanfare when he became Prime Minister in April 2009 that the goal of 1Malaysia is to create a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first and race (whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban), religion (Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh) or region as second.
Six years and eight months after becoming the Prime Minister with his signature policy of 1Malaysia, and after tens and even hundreds of million of ringgit spent on 1Malaysia promotional products, is Malaysia going forwards or backwards as far as Najib’s 1Malaysia policy is concerned?
That Najib is publicly asking the question whether he should be “an ultra or pro-Malay only” as UMNO President and Prime Minister is sad indication that he himself needs convincing as far as his 1Malaysia signature policy is concerned!
Najib’s UMNO/BN government is adrift and at sea, bereft of any direction or vision for Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno presidential speech could have been more balanced
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Ramon Navaratnam
Malaysiakini
14 Dec 2015
The Umno president YAB Najib Abdul Razak’s speech at the opening of the Umno general assembly on Dec 11 was most interesting, assertive and determined.
However as a loyal and committed non-bumi Malaysian, I felt left out like many others, including many bumis, as the president’s speech could have been much more justly balanced and inclusive of all Malaysians. After all, the Umno president is also the prime minister for all Malaysians in our beloved country as One Malaysia.
For instance the learned chairperson of the Wasatiyyah Institute of Malaysia, Dr Abdullah Md Zin, who somewhat harshly criticised the highly respected G25 Group for allegedly misunderstanding the definition of wasatiyyah, gave his enlightening definition of wasatiyyah.
Dr Abdullah described wasatiyyah as “justly balanced, stressing fairness, balance, excellence and moderation”.
But the speech did not adequately fulfil all these criteria for the following reasons – Read the rest of this entry »
The Darth Vader of Umno Baru
Posted by Kit in Mariam Mokhtar, Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
14 Dec 2015
Is Othman Aziz, the Jerlun Umno Baru division vice-chief, on Najib Abdul Razak’s side or is he secretly trying to undermine the PM? His unfortunate choice of words, describing Najib as “The Chosen One” (by God), does not augur well for the PM. If Othman has watched ‘Star Wars’ (SW), he will realise that ‘The Chosen One’ is not a complimentary term.
It is stupid to claim that Najib is ‘The Chosen One’. He has failed to deal with any of the allegations which beset him. At worst, it is blasphemy to use God’s name in this fashion.
How did Othman, a mere mortal, obtain a hotline to God? Which crystal ball is Othman gazing into? Did he consult the self-styled Raja Bomoh, Mahaguru Ibrahim Mat Zin, and look through the shaman’s ‘telescopic bamboo’ to see what God has ordained for Malaysia?
This time last year, ‘The Chosen One’ was playing golf with his buddy, President Barack Obama of America and neglected to deal with the worst floods in Malaysia’s recent history. ‘The Chosen One’ was forced to return home, only after he was ridiculed on social media for his lack of compassion and leadership. Read the rest of this entry »
Anti-Najib Forces Planning ‘Guerrilla War’
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 15 December 2015
By John Berthelsen
Asian Sentinel
December 14, 2015
With the United Malays National Organization’s annual general meeting safely out of the way last week and with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in the saddle as expected, the opposition led by dumped Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Premier Mahathir Mohamad is expected to set off on a new course. Some are calling it guerrilla war.
The four-day conclave was programmed down to the last speaker and lunch menu to make sure that Muhyiddin, Mahathir and other dissidents didn’t have a chance to upset anything despite huge controversies over dual scandals involving Najib’s personal finances and massive debt owed by the state backed 1Malaysia Development Bhd. investment fund. Read the rest of this entry »
What “olive branch” Najib could offer PAS in exchange for support of 14 PAS MPs to secure two-thirds parliamentary majority together with 134 UMNO/BN MPs to amend the Constitution for redelineation of parliamentary constituencies?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Harapan, Pakatan Rakyat, Parliament, PAS, UMNO on Tuesday, 15 December 2015
If by some miracle, it is possible to restitch back Pakatan Rakyat and get back together the three parties, DAP, PKR and PAS (plus a second miracle of re-uniting PAS and Parti Amanah Negara) under one roof for the 14th General Election, could the reconstituted Pakatan Rakyat defeat the UMNO/BN coalition by winning more parliamentary seats than the 13GE?
I don’t think so although UMNO in the 14th GE will be more fractured and weaker than in the 13GE with Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister haunted and hounded by so many political and economic scandals as compared to the general election two years ago.
This is because the reconstituted Pakatan Rakyat in the 14th General Election will be fighting a losing battle just to win back the same number of parliamentary and state assembly seats, for the most important element which led to the 53% popular support for Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th General Election, resulting in 89 Parliamentary and 229 State Assembly seats (minus Sarawak) will be missing, i.e. absolute trust and confidence in the PR because of the people’s belief in the adherence and unswerving commitment of DAP, PKR and PAS to the PR Common Policy Framework and the PR consensus operational principle.
I am reminded of the nursery rhyme:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Like Humpty Dumpty after its “great fall”, it would not be possible to put Pakatan Rakyat together again. Read the rest of this entry »
Outcome of UMNO General Assembly – Najib stronger but UMNO weaker
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Corruption, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Monday, 14 December 2015
The outcome of the UMNO General Assembly over the weekend is that the Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak has emerged stronger while UMNO has become weaker.
This is good for Pakatan Harapan for the 14th General Election but not good for Malaysia in the next 30 months as the country stumbles from one crisis to another under a government paralysed by crippling denial syndrome and an administration which is fractured, inept and cut off from the realities on the ground.
This is why the UMNO General Assembly completely ignored four of the five biggest political and socio-economic scandals in the country this year – Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals; the undemocratic and unconstitutional National Security Council Bill which usurps the constitutional powers of the Yang di Pertuan Agong, the Cabinet and 13 State Governments; and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) adding to the hardships of low-income Malaysians, already sandwiched between rising costs of living and falling incomes.
On the fifth biggest scandal in the country, there was even an attempt at the UMNO General Assembly to hijack public funds to come out with a publication to glorify the Sept. 16 “Red Shirts” rally in Kuala Lumpur which turned the 2015 Malaysia Day into a “black-lettered” day full of negative vibes of inter-racial disunity, division and disharmony when it should be a day to celebrate the unity, union and harmony of Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region! Read the rest of this entry »
DAP made bogeyman to rally Malay support, divert attention, say analysts
Posted by Kit in DAP, Najib Razak, UMNO on Monday, 14 December 2015
by Anisah Shukry
The Malaysian Insider
14 December 2015
The demonising of DAP in this year’s Umno general assembly was a calculated move by party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to use the opposition party as a bogeyman to drum up support among the Malays and distract his supporters from his own weaknesses, say political analysts.
DAP was Umno’s villain of choice because PKR was not seen as a threat, due to the jailing of party de facto chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while PAS was seen as a potential ally, said Ibrahim Suffian (pic), the executive director of independent pollster Merdeka Center.
“The economy is not doing so well, the prime minister and the party are less popular. So in order to round up support, particularly among its core supporters, it needs to define an opponent that is very different from them.
“Here, DAP is targeted as the bogeyman to rally Malay support because it represents the antithesis of what Umno stands for – DAP is secular, it champions a more liberal democracy, it wants more equality for minorities, for example.”
Lim Teck Ghee, the executive director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives said Najib was also trying to distract supporters from his own failings by demonising DAP. Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia Premier Tightens Grip as Draws Islamic Parties Closer
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, PAS, UMNO on Monday, 14 December 2015
Shamim Adam
Bloomberg
December 14, 2015
Having silenced his critics at a meeting of Malaysia’s ruling party, Prime Minister Najib Razak is moving to cement his hold on power by further wooing the ethnic Malay majority.
After five months of political turmoil sparked by a multimillion-dollar funding scandal, Najib has seen off potential threats to his leadership, securing the backing of the powerful division chiefs in his United Malays National Organisation. His message of unity and his calls for loyalty went largely unchallenged at a five-day annual UMNO congress last week attended by detractors including former premier Mahathir Mohamad.
As an additional buffer, he is bringing UMNO closer to the main opposition Islamic party. That could help rally the Malay vote ahead of an election due by 2018. UMNO, in power since independence in 1957, won the 2013 ballot with its slimmest result yet as Chinese and Indian electors deserted Najib’s coalition, and since then he’s embraced policies that play to his support base of Malay voters.
A closer working relationship with Parti Islam se-Malaysia could have dual outcomes: Further help Najib fend off the funding scandal and lead to more hardline policies. PAS, as the opposition party is known, has advocated Shariah law — which allows for stoning or amputation for certain crimes — in a state it governs, while Najib has already made greater use of the country’s Sedition Act with the detention of media executives and political opponents. Read the rest of this entry »
Puad Zarkashi should be sacked as JASA Director-General and be made to personally bear the costs of the JASA booklet “Uprising of the Red Shirts, Sept. 16” or he should be charged for CBT if the booklet is paid for from public funds
Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi should be sacked as Department of Special Affairs (JASA) Director-General and be made to personally bear the costs of the JASA booklet “Uprising of the Red Shirts, Sept. 16” distributed at the UMNO General Assembly or he should be charged for the offence of criminal breach of trust if the booklet is paid for from public funds.
UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Putrajaya does not support the Sept. 16 “Red Shirt” rally and if this is the case, how can JASA, a government department, be the publisher and distributor of the booklet, especially as JASA functions as a disseminator of government polices and propaganda?
Or is this another case of an increasingly fractured and schizophrenic UMNO/BN government, where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing, or the right hand is not allowed to interfere with what the left hand is doing even if aware of what is happening? Read the rest of this entry »
DAP does not regard the three million UMNO members and one million PAS members as “enemies” but only as Malaysians with different political inclinations and we are always prepared to engage with them for the common purpose to save the nation and not just to save individuals or political parties
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, PAS, UMNO on Sunday, 13 December 2015
DAP has become the favourite punching bag in the current UMNO General Assemblies, which is a reflection of the loss of direction and the sense of purpose of the UMNO leadership which have strayed far from the UMNO founding principles to serve the Malay community and the multi-ethnic country.
Today, we read of the UMNO representative from Terengganu declaring that PAS should not be perceived as the main enemy of UMNO, and that it is the DAP which is UMNO’s “main enemy” because PAS is an Islam-based party with the members comprising the Malays.
By this logic, UMNO should declare the majority of the parties in the Barisan Nasional, including MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah and Sarawak parties which are not exclusively restricted to Malays or Muslims also as UMNO’s “main enemies”.
Is this the direction UMNO is leading the country after some six decades of nation-building?
What has happened to the 1Malaysia concept which the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had proclaimed on becoming Prime Minister in April 2008 and on which he spent so much public funds on 1Malaysia propaganda and gimmicry in the run-up to the 13th General Election in May 2013? Read the rest of this entry »
Why is UMNO afraid of DAP? Not because the Chinese will control the Malays but because UMNO-putras will not be able to exploit the Malays
Posted by Kit in Malays, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 10 December 2015
The UMNO Wanita leader, Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is the typical example of UMNO leaders who have to resort to the politics of fear, hate and lies to try to perpetuate their political careers and political position in the party.
Malaysiakini reported that at the winding-up speech of the UMNO Wanita General Assembly, Shahrizat urged former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir, former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apbdal to return to the fold as she does not want Malays to be “controlled” by DAP because of Umno leaders opposing UMNO president Najib Abdul Razak.
She urged Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Shafie to be with UMNO, “right or wrong”.
She said: “There is no other party. Do you want to surrender the Malays and bumiputera to DAP? I am not prepared (to do so).”
She lost control of herself when she continued in a most irresponsible and seditious manner, declaring: “Let blood flow, we won’t allow DAP to take over. Umno is weak, god forbid, our country is taken over by DAP.”
If any DAP or Pakatan Harapan leader had made a similar “blood-curdling” speech, the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar would have tweeted a directive to his subordinates to commence immediate police investigations and action.
Let us see whether there will be any action from the Inspector-General of Police against Shahrizat or she belongs to a special breed of Malaysians who enjoy immunity and impunity under the law! Read the rest of this entry »
Difficult questions on Umno’s future trajectory
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 10 December 2015
Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
9 Dec 2015
COMMENT Today the Umno general assembly begins – an event that has been stage-managed to deliver another show of support for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. These sorts of activities have become commonplace since the July revelation of the RM2.6 million ‘donation’ that continues to be inadequately explained and embarrasses Malaysia.
The meeting provides an opportunity to take stock – not only of the PM but of the state of the party that has governed Malaysia since independence. By whatever measure, Malaysia’s leadership is facing serious challenges ahead. Read the rest of this entry »
The Umno Circus has begun…
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 10 December 2015
By Martin Jalleh
The AGM of UMNO also known as 1MDB is here to entertain you!
Posted by Kit in Financial Scandals, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 10 December 2015
By Martin Jalleh
Will Muhyiddin be the second Deputy Prime Minister to be expelled by UMNO?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Wednesday, 9 December 2015
All eyes will be focused on the UMNO Supreme Council special meeting today, as to whether Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will be the second Deputy Prime Minister to be sacked from UMNO, whether today or later shortly.
The Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s UMNO Presidential speech tomorrow will establish a record of sorts as attracting the least national anticipation, as nobody expects the UMNO President, apart from excelling himself in the past in breathing fire and brimstone on racial and religious rhetoric, to really address the important issues not only to the three million UMNO members but also to the 30 million Malaysians – Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals and his policy disasters like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the midst of of the people’s economic woes of rising inflation and falling incomes.
UMNO Baru has indeed come a long way since the formation of original UMNO in 1946.
In 1950, the founder UMNO President, Datuk Onn Jaafar was too ahead of his time when he tried to open up UMNO to “non-Malays” to create a united nation and left UMNO in disgust.
Today, 65 years later, the present UMNO has become very regressive and exclusivist while at the same time become more corrupt and repressive, and one proof was the barring of non-Muslim journalists from covering the Puteri Umno launch of its programme “Daulatkan Islam Agama Negara” (DIAN) by the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi yesterday.
From a “national” party, the present UMNO is not even a party for the Malays or of the three million UMNO members but has been reduced to a party of Najib’s cronies and UMNO chieftains who dominated the UMNO Supreme Council and the various UMNO divisional leadership positions. Read the rest of this entry »
Full support for Muhyiddin’s proposal to Najib to “take a break” as Prime Minister to allow unimpeded 1MDB investigations and to return as PM after he is cleared of any involvement by the probe
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Just as over a thousand people are gathered here in Batu Uban in Penang tonight to ask the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak the question “Mana RM2.6 billion?”, over a thousand people are gathered at the Kelab Sultan Suleiman in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur to support Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who had been sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and may be sacked as UMNO Deputy President for basically asking the same question to Najib – “Mana RM2.6 billion?”
In his speech at Kelab Sultan Suleiman, which had just been completed, Muhyiddin proposed that Najib should take leave as Prime Minister pending investigations into 1MDB, as there should be no perception that the Prime Minister is meddling in the investigations.
Muhyiddin said that if Najib is not involved, he can come back to serve as Prime Minister again.
I fully support Muhyiddin’s proposal that Najib “take a break” as Prime Minister to allow unimpeded 1MDB investigations and to return as PM after he is cleared of any involvement by the probe.
Will Najib announce in his UMNO Presidential Address on Thursday that he would take leave as Prime Minister until the completion of investigations into 1MDB? Read the rest of this entry »