Archive for category UMNO
Umno Baru’s hidden agenda
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Mariam Mokhtar, Najib Razak, UMNO on Monday, 20 May 2013
Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
May 20, 2013
When Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – the new home minister – told disgruntled opposition supporters that they should migrate if they were unhappy with the results of GE13, he had unwittingly confessed that Umno Baru has a hidden agenda.
This little-known plan is Umno Baru’s mass immigration policy and is a deliberate ploy fuelled by political self-interests. Asking people to emigrate will ensure that Malaysia is populated largely by Umno Baru-putras and selected foreigners.
Zahid reluctantly acknowledged that the rakyat was disappointed with the rigging of the polls, but at the same time, he revealed the fears of Umno Baru leaders. The cheating did not go as smoothly and secretly as they had intended.
Zahid possesses neither charisma nor intellect. His oft repeated line is for people to shape up or ship out. With each new political appointment, he stuns us with his ability to set new standards for boorish behaviour.
In 2008, he was appointed a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with a portfolio which included religious affairs and agencies like the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). He caused controversy when he warned officers that they had to support the government’s policies, or leave.
When Abdullah resigned and Najib Abdul Razak took over in 2009, Zahid was made the defence minister. He invited criticism when he said that the low percentage of non-Malays in the armed forces showed that they lacked patriotism. Read the rest of this entry »
The brilliance of Zahid Hamidi
Posted by Kit in Articles, Law & Order, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Monday, 20 May 2013
by Aerie Rahman
The Malaysian Insider
MAY 20, 2013
Move aside Khairy Jamaluddin and Saifuddin Abdullah — we have a new poster boy for change within the Barisan National power structure. Not used to flamboyance and only recently baring the fangs of radicalism, Zahid Hamidi has sparked a debate on a new form of politics: migratory politics.
With his decree demanding that those who are unhappy with the current political system migrate to republican states, this man is a maverick. He is braving the tide by countering Najib Razak’s efforts to stem the pernicious brain drain beleaguering this nation. We need more mavericks within BN! Not mere “yes men” whose servitude are repulsive, but men with independent minds. Zahid fits the bill. This is a man to watch, Malaysia! Read the rest of this entry »
GE 13 and the emergence of the enlightened Malays
― Ahmad Mustapha Hassan
The Malaysian Insider
May 20, 2013
MAY 20 ― The general election has come but not gone. I wrote on March 15 that the 13th GE would be the most undemocratic and the dirtiest elections Malaysia would ever experience. I was not wrong at all.
Umno/BN used underhanded tactics to gain power and it was never the tsunami as uttered by the PM, who not only could not regain Selangor but also failed to obtain the two-thirds majority in Parliament that he had promised. It is a disgrace and the choice for any honourable leader is to resign. But he willingly got himself reappointed as the prime minister.
The number of seats won also dwindled and the worst part was to lose the popular vote. This is a shame beyond redemption.
And then he also had the audacity to blame the Chinese for the loss. This was most unpardonable. The shift away from Umno/BN was multi-ethnic in nature and furthermore, the young voters had lost confidence in this party that has held power for more than 50 years. The Umno/BN rule was mired in corruption, cronyism and maladministration.
To win in fair and democratic elections would have been most honourable. But to win using unfair means was most deplorable. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib should show immediate leadership to end the unprecedented racist nastiness arising from poor Umno/BN performance in 13GE or he would have reneged from his promise to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Monday, 20 May 2013
The 13th General Elections results on May 5, 2013 have caused double disappointments, as both the contending coalitions, the Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, have different reasons to be upset by them.
Pakatan Rakyat supporters are rightly outraged that the victory due to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat, as testified by the 51% popular vote for Pakatan Rakyat as compared to 47% popular vote for Barisan Nasional, have been snatched away from them because of the dirtiest general elections in the nation’s history.
Barisan Nasional leaders and strategists on the other hand are exasperated that their triple strategies of “Money Money Money”, “Lies Lies Lies” and “Fear Fear Fear” had failed to achieve their intended results, viz recapture of two-thirds parliamentary majority and regaining the state government in Selangor.
But what is of great concern to all thinking, rational and patriotic Malaysians is the unprecedented racist nastiness which have been allowed to surface and gain momentum in the two weeks after the 13th General Election results – initiated of all persons by Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself when he dismissed the 13GE results as a “Chinese tsunami” when it was a Malaysian and urban tsunami.
Read the rest of this entry »
You are racist if you are not racist
— conspiracytheor1st
The Malaysian Insider
May 19, 2013
MAY 19 — You will never read from anywhere that brand Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King as racists.
Abraham Lincoln pawned his life to fight against the enslavement of the African Americans, Nelson Mandela traded decades of his freedom to free South Africa from the shackles of the Apartheid policy and Martin Luther King paid for his life for the equal rights of Americans. Their detractors could call them any vile names they wished but never as a racist.
Only in Malaysia, the very people who do not condone racism and voted against it are labeled as racists. Over the decades, Umnno, led by Dr. Mahathir and his armada of mass media had been accusing DAP with its vision of “Malaysian Malaysia” as a bigoted political party, hell-bent to destroy the Malay.
The rakyat particularly the IT savvy urban-dwellers who ironically voted for the multiracial parties from Pakatan Rakyat in GE13 were branded as racists because they rejected the race-based political system where every race fights endlessly to defend their respective rights.
To put things into perspective, could anyone imagine any American being branded as racist if they do not endorse Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist organization? Read the rest of this entry »
Najib’s feckless and uninspiring cabinet
Posted by Kit in Hindraf, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, UMNO on Sunday, 19 May 2013
Mariam Mokhtar| May 19, 2013
Free Malaysia Today
Najib is impotent when tackling corruption, or defusing racial and religious tensions. His weakness as a leader is reflected in the Cabinet line-up
COMMENT
Najib Tun Razak’s defence of the Malay daily Utusan Malaysia which displayed a provocative headline, “What more do the Chinese want?” does nothing for national reconciliation, something which Najib promised to address, after GE-13.
Trying his best to placate an increasingly cynical public, Najib vowed to be a prime minister for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, state or political views.
He said, “I love my country …… We will also continue to promote moderation among multiracial Malaysians and place great importance on racial harmony and national unity.”
Despite the sweet talk, he refused to censure Utusan, but said, “You blame Utusan but you don’t ask about the Chinese papers.”
If Najib was adamant that both the Malay and Chinese newspapers were stoking racial hatred, the right thing would have been to punish both papers.
Najib is impotent when tackling corruption, or defusing racial and religious tensions. His weakness as a leader is reflected in the Cabinet line-up. Read the rest of this entry »
New IGP Khalid Abu Bakar and new Home Minister Zahid Hamidi should stop playing politics to please their political masters and return to their first duty – to make Malaysians, tourists and investors safe from crime and the fear of crime
The new Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the new Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should stop playing politics to please their political masters and return to their first duty to the people – to make Malaysians, tourists and investors safe from crime and the fear of crime.
Both should realize that they are being paid by the taxpayers to carry out their primary duty to reduce crime, to protect the safety of Malaysians, tourists and investors and to abolish the fear of crime which is haunting Malaysians in many criminal black spots in the country, instead of abdicating from their duties by playing politics with their positions.
If Khalid and Zahid have too much free time on their hands, why don’t they do something more useful and directly related to their primary responsibilities – such as giving themselves a one-year challenge to remove the infamy of Johor Baru as the capital of crime in the country by ensuring that 12 months from now, the people of Johor Baru can feel safe and free from both crime and the fear of crime when moving around the Johor capital?
Read the rest of this entry »
Why, Prime Minister?
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Media, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Sunday, 19 May 2013
by Zaid Ibrahim
May 14, 2013
I have never seen as many vile and seditious statements invading the public sphere as I have in this past week. We’ve had Utusan Malaysia provoking the Chinese for rejecting the Barisan Nasional and UMNO leaders labeling non-UMNO Malays as greedy and easily misled. An academic suggested the abolishment of vernacular schools to encourage unity among the races and an old “historian” said that the Chinese are not actually keen on unity. To cap it off, a retired Court of Appeal judge practically made a call for “restoring” Malay rights and dignity by whatever means.
I never realised that retired judges are also involved in part-time politics, although I believe this case to be a serious aberration. In the meantime, have we heard anything from the Prime Minister expressing regret for these statements? Perhaps a promise to take some action to stop this dangerous game of provocation? None whatsoever; in fact, he defended Utusan by saying Chinese newspapers are playing the same game.
Is this the kind of Prime Minister we want? Certainly not. I have been very patient with him, as have so many Malaysians. We have always given him extra room to breathe because we thought he was surrounded by the worse ultras in UMNO. We allowed him to dabble in “double speak” because we thought it was necessary for him to maintain his equilibrium as UMNO President. But enough is enough. This man has to go. He is afraid to do the right thing for the country. His 1Malaysia is a sham. I blame him for allowing this mad, racist frenzy to pander to UMNO delegates so he can retain power at the party elections at the end of the year.
His conduct is inexcusable. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno’s unpardonable sins against the Malay rakyat
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, UMNO on Saturday, 18 May 2013
by Aliran on 15 May 2013
Life under the coconut shell is no longer sustainable. It is time to open our minds and challenge our preconceived notions, says Tota.
The general election is over. A allegedly fraudulent electoral system and a highly tainted electoral roll has once again ensured a BN victory, albeit a hollow one with less than 48 per cent of the popular vote.
Over a long period of 56 years, Umno has played havoc with the Malay mind through crippling political and religious propaganda. In this election, the educated, intelligent and well-informed Malay in the urban and semi-urban areas have toppled the proverbial coconut shell that Umno kept them trapped under and come out to realise that there is a wondrous political world outside!
As predicted by well-known surgeon and writer Dr M Bakri Musa in his book “Liberating the Malay mind”, Umno needs a scapegoat. The “hantu” pendatang, the Chinese bogeyman, has been resurrected once again to serve their purpose. No one has analysed the Malay dilemma more clearly and expressed it more succinctly than Dr M Bakri Musa. I quote below a few excepts from his book about what Umno has done to the Malay mind: Read the rest of this entry »
Cabinet ministers and spin
The Malaysian Insider
May 17, 2013
MAY 17 — The new Cabinet is not even 48 hours old and one can already see some of them sketching out an alternative reality of Malaysia.
In the last 10 days, the new Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has had the task of being the government’s spokesman with the foreign media — burnishing Malaysia’s image despite the rancour in local newspapers.
In an interview published by The Australian daily yesterday, Khairy spoke of a discernible change “among the Chinese community, particularly” and the urban middle class, pointing there had been internal discussions on engaging the Chinese community to understand the protest vote.
Sure. Tell that to Umno, Umno bloggers and Umno newspaper Utusan Malaysia which have been unrelenting in hammering the Chinese and those who voted against Barisan Nasional (BN).
If that is engaging the Chinese and others, it must be a new and sophisticated way of pummelling people into submission. Read the rest of this entry »
Censure motion in Parliament against Zahid for “migrate elsewhere” statement – welcome MPs including those from BN to be joint sponsors of motion
Posted by Kit in Parliament, UMNO on Friday, 17 May 2013
It is just not good enough for the newly-minted Minister for Sports and Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin to evade the issue by claiming that the new Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for critics of the 13th general election to leave the country was merely the latter’s “personal opinion” and does not reflect the government’s position.
How does Khairy know that Zahid’s disgraceful statement does not reflect the Barisan Nasional Goverment’s position?
Has Khairy been assured by the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister that the new Cabinet would repudiate Zahid’s statement with a formal announcement?
It is sad that in a matter of 24 hours after being sworn in as Cabinet Minister, Khairy has already started to compromise his principles and begun to behave like old-time Ministers who are more interested in protecting their own Ministerial turfs instead of taking principled stand against gross abuses of power and blatant injustices like Zahid’s outburst.
Will Khairy take the initiative at his first Cabinet meeting to propose that the Cabinet should distance itself and repudiate Zahid’s statement?
In my early years in Parliament in the seventies, a very powerful UMNO Minister interjected in one of my speeches and told me that if I did not like the policies of UMNO/Barisan Nasional governments, I could leave the country.
Read the rest of this entry »
Most disappointed over UMNO betrayal of Ghani Othman who was completely by-passed instead of being appointed Senator and Minister in new Cabinet line-up
Posted by Kit in Johore, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 16 May 2013
I am disappointed over the UMNO betrayal of former Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Ghani Othman who was completely by-passed instead of being appointed Senator and Minister in the new Cabinet line-up announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.
The UMNO leadership had praised Ghani sky-high during the 13th General Election campaign when fielding him as a parliamentary candidate for Gelang Patah against me, and it is most unfair and ungrateful for UMNO leaders to drop Ghani like a ton of bricks after Ghani failed to defeat me in Gelang Patah in the May 5 polls.
General elections should not be regarded as a zero-sum game, and in the case of Ghani, whom I had openly acknowledged as having made invaluable contribution to the development and progress in Johor, his talents and experience should be tapped by the Federal government as Ghani can have still many years of national service and contribution in him.
I am surprised that Ghani is facing so much resistance in UMNO as there are powerful forces who object to his return to national politics, to the extent that MUBARAK, the association of former Barisan Nasional wakil rakyats, have come out with a statement opposing any UMNO candidate who lost in the 13GE being appointed a Senator and a Minister – clearly targetting at Ghani.
Read the rest of this entry »
Most unimpressive Cabinet of all six Prime Ministers in the nation’s 56-year history
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 16 May 2013
The Cabinet unveiled by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday is the most unimpressive Cabinet of all six Malaysian Prime Ministers in the nation’s 56-year history.
It has in fact accentuated the great divide between Pakatan Rakyat and the Barisan Nasional in the recent 13th General Elections – that Pakatan Rakyat holds out hope and a vision of new politics for Malaysia while Barisan Nasional represent the old, tired and discredited politics of race, fear, corruption, abuses of power and injustices.
The injustices of the 13GE results and the nagging question for the first time in Malaysian historty of the legitimacy of the Prime Minister have spawned a spontaneous “black” political consciousness movement in the country, as witnessed by the 30,000-crowd at the “Black 505” rally at Ulu Tiram, Johor Baru last night, following massive crowds at other “Black 505” rallies in Kelana Jaya, Penang, Ipoh and Kuantan, drawing support from Malaysians regardless of race, religion and region finding special strength in the young generation of Malaysians who until now have been very apathetic to politics and political developments in the country.
Malaysians, particularly young people regardless of race, religion or gender, are outraged by the injustices of the democratic and electoral system to make a stand about their disappointments, frustration and anger at the outcome of the 13GE as well as the legitimacy of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister, as they feel robbed of their fundamental democratic right to help determine the political future of the country.
Read the rest of this entry »
Forcing a paradigm shift in MCA and Umno
Posted by Kit in Elections, MCA, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, UMNO on Thursday, 16 May 2013
by Oon Yeoh
Malaysiakini
May 15, 2013
COMMENT
Much has been written about MCA and Gerakan’s decision not to join the cabinet following their poor performance in the recently concluded general elections.
Some commentators have said that because Malaysia is a multiracial country, there must be Chinese representation in the cabinet to look after Chinese needs. That’s an interesting notion because MCA and Gerakan ministers have never assumed the position of Chinese affairs minister or anything like that. Such a position doesn’t exist.
They take up other positions like transport minister or health minister or energy, water and communications minister. So, how do they look after Chinese interests if their job is to look after transportation, health or energy, water and communications issues?
Perhaps, they can speak up about Chinese-related issues privately to the prime minister. But do they have to be in the cabinet to speak the PM about such issues? Aren’t there other channels to highlight such issues besides being in the cabinet?
In fact, if the PM really wanted to understand Chinese concerns, he should speak to opposition leaders for it’s obvious they have a better handle of Chinese grouses than MCA or Gerakan leaders.
Besides, if it’s Chinese representation in the cabinet that people are worried about, the prime minister can always appoint prominent members of the Chinese community as senators and make them ministers.
But who exactly is calling for Chinese representation in the cabinet? Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for it. So has Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. Columnist Azman Ujang has done so, too. Read the rest of this entry »
Analysts: Umno-heavy Cabinet reflects Najib’s party polls focus, could affect reforms
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 16 May 2013
By Amin Iskandar, Debra Chong and Syed Jaymal Zahiid
The Malaysian Insider
May 16, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — Umno’s domination of the 2013 Cabinet shows Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s desire to shore up his personal support ahead of party polls but at the expense of the prime minister’s national reform measures, several observers say.
While the pundits held grave reservations over the large number of veterans in the 32-man Cabinet, they said Najib deserved a chance to prove he could deliver on his promised government and economic transformation agenda once he had secured his party presidency.
The Umno president had cast 17 of his party colleagues in ministerial positions when naming members of his Cabinet yesterday. Of the line-up, most were old government hands being switched around or promoted with the exception of new faces Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
Such an Umno-studded cast was “clever”, according to William Case, a professor in Asian and International Studies at the University of Hong Kong.
“My take is that while many critics are dismissing the Cabinet as made up most of old hacks, I see it as more mixed, possibly in clever ways, as it includes Najib’s personal supporters, reformers, and nativists,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an emailed response yesterday.
There has been speculation that Najib, 59, is likely to face a challenge to his presidency from within Umno in the party ballot due this year for failing to return the BN’s two-thirds supermajority in the May 5 general election despite improving the Malay party’s number of federal seats to 88. Read the rest of this entry »
Ordinary Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians, are more Malaysian-minded and patriotic than MCA/UMNO/BN leaders who have been trying to racialise the 13GE results for the past nine days
Ordinary Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians, have shown that they are more Malaysian-minded and patriotic than MCA/UMNO/BN leaders who have been trying their utmost in the past nine days to racialise the 13th general election results so as to divert attention from the new-found unity among Malaysians, particularly the young generation of Malaysians of all races, for a new Malaysian politics to end racial politics, corruption, cronyism, abuses of power and all forms of exploitation and injustices in the country.
The first and most irresponsible and anti-1Malaysia blow was struck by none other than the advocate of 1Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who kicked off the racialisation of the 13GE results with his shocking but baseless statement that the 13GE results was a “Chinese tsunami” when it was a Malaysian and urban tsunami!
Najib and UMNO leaders found justification in the racialisation of the 13GE results, calling it a “Chinese tsunami”, from the campaign of the MCA President, Datuk Chua Soi Lek, during the entire 13GE period, warning that if MCA candidates are defeated, the country will be landed with a “two-racial rather than a two-party system”.
Chua Soi Lek was clearly looking for an excuse to explain an anticipated dismal MCA electoral performance in the 13GE, claiming that defeated MCA candidates are victims of a Chinese tsunami and uprising of the Chinese versus the Malays, and that under the circumstances he and the MCA leaders cannot be blamed if they do not do well in the 13GE.
Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t give up on Chinese voters, Umno told
Malaysiakini
May 13, 2013
Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has warned that his party would be committing political suicide if it chooses to shift further to the right after losing the support of Chinese Malaysians in the May 5 general election.
Saifuddin said Umno should continue its moderate ideology and stay away from extremism and racism.
The former deputy minister said in an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily that there was no sign of Umno moving further towards racial politics after the 13th general election.
However, the final outcome would largely depend on the party leadership election slated for the end of this year.
“The future direction of Umno will rely on the composition of the supreme council after the party election this year,” he is quoted as saying.
Saifuddin, who is seen as a liberal young Umno leader, failed to defend his Temerloh parliamentary constituency against PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan, who is known for his hardline Islamic stance. Read the rest of this entry »
BN’s reduced wins put spotlight on ‘war room’ strategists
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 14 May 2013
By Jahabar Sadiq
The Malaysian Insider
May 14, 2013
KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Questions are being asked about Barisan Nasional’s (BN) “war room” strategists whose plans with a substantial budget did not appear to stop the ruling coalition from losing more federal and state seats in the May 5 general election.
The BN war room was tasked with selecting the candidates and advising various strategies to win the polls. It counts Rompin MP Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis, PWTC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Alies Anor Abdul, Petronas director Omar Mustapha Ong, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, party information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan and former minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as among its members.
“It was just a crapshoot. Their ideas didn’t work and their white list predictions were wrong,” a senior Umno divisional leader told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.
The war room had stuck to its prediction of BN winning between 145 and 150 federal seats and also getting back Selangor in Election 2013 although some senior BN leaders were privately doubtful of the figures.
And by noon on Polling Day, the war room had issued its “white list” of 118 federal seats it was sure to win, but some like Pasir Mas, Shah Alam and Lembah Pantai were lost, which some Umno divisional leaders said reflected the disconnect between the leadership and the ground. Read the rest of this entry »
After Malaysia Election, Political Attacks Continue as Opposition Calls for Protests
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 14 May 2013
By JOE COCHRANE
New York Times
May 10, 2013
JAKARTA, Indonesia — If there was a moment after the nail-biting national election on Sunday when Malaysians could envision a respite from five years of political turmoil, it did not last long.
Within hours of the election commission’s announcement early Monday that Prime Minister Najib Razak’s governing National Front coalition had won a majority in Parliament, Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader, declared that the voting was rigged, said he would contest the results and called for nationwide protests.
The prime minister’s office countered that Mr. Anwar was a poor loser stirring up unrest, while the police warned that the opposition leader and dozens of other people who spoke at a protest rally in a packed soccer stadium just outside the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday night could be charged with sedition.
Such tit-for-tat exchanges between the government and the opposition were commonplace after the 2008 election and in the campaign for the vote last Sunday. But analysts say that the continuing political attacks and threats of protest this time are raising the specter of a potentially explosive showdown fueled by ethnic tensions laid bare again in the vote and longstanding animosity between Mr. Najib and Mr. Anwar.
“In a way, it’s escalated things,” said Simon Tay, the chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. “And with an escalation, you’re not sure of what the results will be.” Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia elections: Next battle: Staying on as party president
Posted by Kit in Mahathir, Najib Razak, UMNO on Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Reme Ahmad in Alor Setar
The Straits Times
Thu, May 09, 2013
PM Najib Razak has to convince warlords in his own party to keep him on as chief.
MALAYSIA – Even as the dust settles from his victorious battle against Malaysia’s galvanised opposition, Prime Minister Najib Razak might be heading for another fight – convincing warlords in his own party to keep him on as chief.
Umno is scheduled to hold its internal elections, held every three years, before the end of this year.
Some expect the Umno president to face a challenge from his deputy then.
Datuk Seri Najib’s performance in the general election will be the main yardstick used by Umno leaders to decide whether to let the 59-year-old continue as president, or to allow Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, 66, to mount a challenge.
The Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won 133 parliamentary seats on Sunday, with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) getting 89. In the previous general election, BN had won 140 seats.
So yes, under Mr Najib, the 13-party ruling coalition had won back Kedah and kept Perak. The latter was taken from PR a year after the 2008 election as a result of defections by several assemblymen; Mr Najib has now secured a mandate to keep it.
But were Sunday’s results good enough? Analysts have mixed views. Read the rest of this entry »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the UMNO category.
