KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 - Apart from showing Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a quick exit, Umno ultras want early party polls to keep their grip on power in party and government while reversing possible reforms in the judiciary and investigative services.
Leading the charge is deputy presidential frontrunner Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who feels a drawn-out election campaign can sap his momentum and give an advantage to Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam in what could be a wildly unpredictable race to be the party number 2.
Mohd Ali, with three nominations like fellow contestant Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, is seen as a more credible challenger and could qualify despite Muhyiddin’s 38 nominations thus far.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
“Muhyiddin is worried about Ali Rustam and his Umno network because if he qualifies, the long campaign period will work to his advantage,” an Umno division leader told The Malaysian Insider.
The Malacca chief minister is said to be tapping his Malaysian Youth Council and 4B Youth network, which he once led, to garner nominations from the remaining 140-odd divisions meetings until Nov 9.
“Ali Rustam’s chances are slim but he is going all out to get the nominations. Its his last chance to be in power because the new leadership will reward their people and cull the rest,” a party insider said.
Abdullah himself has criticised moves to stop Mohd Ali from contesting the post. “I hear that there was an attempt by someone to ask Ali Rustam to withdraw…Why ask Ali to withdraw? What is bad about Ali?
“Let him contest and let Umno people decide whether they want Ali or otherwise,” he said yesterday.
Party observers have cited Mohd Ali’s lack of proficiency in English as a drawback citing the example of former deputy premier Tun Ghafar Baba’s poor English skills.
“That’s rich coming from Umno. After all, aren’t they championing Bahasa Malaysia instead of English,” a supporter of Mohd Ali told The Malaysian Insider.
Apart from party politics, several Umno politicians said the ultras, including former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, want to stop Abdullah from pushing reforms in the judiciary and investigative services.
Dr Mahathir, a trenchant critic of Abdullah, yesterday joined Muhyiddin in calling to bring the party polls back to December from next March
“I agree with Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin), there is no need for an additional three months, what can Abdullah do in three months? I don’t think he can do anything,” he said.
“No need for delay, we need time to rehabilitate BN, we only have four years to do that, or else we are going to lose the next election,” Dr Mahathir said.
What was left unsaid is the acerbic strongman’s and other Umno politicians’ opposition to proposal laws on a judicial appointments commission that is seen to loosen Malay supremacy over the judiciary.
“The Cabinet has been resisting that piece of legislation and it won’t be easy for Abdullah to get it approved or even tabled. His best chance is to work with other BN component parties and Pakatan Rakyat to get it through,” a government source said.
“The ultras know this so they have to make sure Abdullah is out of the picture sooner than later,” he added.
The 68-year-old prime minister, who has been battling calls to quit after the March 8 polls, has promised to push through legislations to reform the judiciary, anti-corruption agency and a commission to investigate complaints against security services before he leaves office.
He will have a few weeks after the Budget debate ends on Dec 11 and possibly next March to get the laws approved before handing over to Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, his presumptous heir in a Barisan Nasional government.
The opposition Pakatan Rakyat led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have threated to unseat Abdullah’s government but have yet to show the numbers to do so, with only 81 seats in the 222-seat parliament. BN has 138 seats, having lost two when the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) left the ruling coalition last month.
1 comment:
There is a difference between UMNO and Barisan Nasional. I want to make it clear that it is not the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, but the UMNO government. It is not the government, but UMNO. Barisan Nasional is a coalition of unequals, not equals. UMNO is the big brother in BN. Therefore UMNO must be held responsible; and more importantly, UMNO must not be allowed to hide behind the BN banner. UMNO is the enemy, not BN. UMNO is a racist party which has perfected the art of divide and rule. If moderate Malays, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Chinese and Indians unite, then they can vote UMNO out of office.
For decades UMNO has strengthened her position by destroying the independence of the judiciary. So much so that high officials and the Police can almost act with impunity.
I have come to the conclusion that the easy solution is to completely defeat UMNO in the next elections. We have to vote racist UMNO out of office. UMNO is bent on divide and rule, which has affected Malaysia badly. It is for the next generation of Malaysians to undo the damage done to Malaysia by UMNO. There is a dire need for moderate Malays at the political level. There is also a need for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to form a third force to protect their own interests. Imagine how UMNO had dealt with Sabah; from a rich state, Sabah has been reduced to a poor state subservient to UMNO. There has to be an explanation. The only way is UMNO has to be voted out of office. The younger generation of Malaysians do not like racist politics and UMNO must be taught a lesson by the younger generation by voting UMNO out of office. Please vote for any party but UMNO/BN.
To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I tell you that historically UMNO has always avoided a Royal Commission of Inquiry as much as possible many times. Historically, UMNO has misused the Internal Security Act numerous times. Any political party that is an accomplice to UMNO is also the enemy. Any political party that is a co-conspirator to UMNO is also the enemy. To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I say that you should form a third force. A third force would require unity among Sabahans and Sarawakians.
We have to get into the habit of putting people in office through votes, and removing people from office through votes. Nobody should be allowed to topple the government. We have to institutionalize the multi-party political system, one person one vote, and an independent judiciary.
In the 2004 elections (11th General Election), the voters gave good support to Mr.Abdullah Badawi. But reforms did not come. Why? Probably because UMNO had done well in the elections. If UMNO had done well in the elections, then the election results tell UMNO that the voters are satisfied with the status quo. If the voters are satisfied with UMNO, then no reforms are necessary. In the 2008 elections (12th General Elections), UMNO did not do well, but she managed to win. UMNO did lose the 2/3 majority in the Parliament, but she did win, nevertheless. Will UMNO undertake reforms now? I would not be surprised if she did not. Why should she? UMNO is still the winner in the elections; and she can plan to rise and may even succeed to rise again. So, as long as she wins, she will never undertake the reforms. So, how do the voters get the reforms that they need? The voters will get the reforms when UMNO is completely defeated in the 13th General Elections. If UMNO wins zero seats in the next elections (13th General Elections), then some other party would have to rule Malaysia. Let us call it Party B. If UMNO is completely defeated in the next elections (13th General Elections), then Party B would rule Malaysia. Would Party B undertake reforms? If Party B does not undertake reforms, then voters would know what to do.
There is no doubt that UMNO has used gerrymandering to strengthen herself. If we removed gerrymandering from UMNO, then there would be a reduced UMNO. So the non-UMNO voters of Malaysia have good reasons to vote against UMNO.
It is possible that UMNO has used the Police Force to strengthen herself. The Police Force is required to be neutral. But is the Police Force neutral? I appeal to the Police Force to be neutral.
UMNO is a race based political party and also the big brother of BN. So, the complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get reforms. The complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get a new beginning.
UMNO is inclined to believe that Malaysians cannot do anything if they are in any way dissatisfied. The voters, however, have to send a strong message to UMNO that the voters can do something: the voters can vote.
So, the next step for Malaysians is to completely defeat UMNO/BN in the next elections.
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