Outgoing M'sian PM surprises many with tough speech
THE Umno delegates seated in the cool, air-conditioned auditorium at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur suddenly felt the temperature go up.
The heat was emanating from the least likely of people - their gentle and quiet departing prime minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Mr Abdullah did not mince words in his hard-hitting indictment of the ruling party yesterday morning, saying it was contaminated by greed, complacency and internal rivalries.
According to liberal news portal Malaysiakini, some considered it his best speech in his long public career
Mr Abdullah is due to hand over the prime minister's post to his deputy, Mr Najib Razak, soon after the 59th Umno general assembly ends this week.
Complacency and greed
In his last speech to delegates as Umno president, Mr Abdullah said: 'We were intoxicated by our own achievements and we became complacent. We believed that we had become all-powerful. We have put our own positions within the party first.'
Mr Abdullah said the 8 Mar polls, which handed the opposition control of a third of parliamentary seats in an unprecedented result, was a sign that 'Umno's glory has dimmed'.
'Materialism has seeped into the party, making a number of party members greedy and avaricious,' said Mr Abdullah.
'The path that we choose will determine whether we continue to remain relevant or whether we are reduced to a forgotten footnote in the pages of history.'
Mr Abdullah said they must answer the questions 'what went wrong?' and 'why and how did we go wrong?'
Last chance
Asking Umno to come to its senses, Mr Abdullah said many believe if Umno and Barisan Nasional do not change, then the 8 Mar election will be the last time BN forms the government.
'After this (if we do not change), the people outside this hall will not vote for us again. Many have voiced the view that 'Umno needs to change'.
'But what I hope to hear is for you to say 'I will change' and that we have the courage to follow up those words with actions.
'It would be a grave travesty if we do not understand that we are Umno and as long as we do not change, Umno will not change,' he said.
For Umno to remain relevant, it must be willing to make sacrifices, adhere to moderation and 'be governed by our humanity', Mr Abdullah added.
He said the party must 'rid ourselves of our arrogance and conceit that we are the only ones who are right, that we are the only ones who know all' and distance itself from corruption.
Whipping boy
Mr Abdullah said Umno has reached such a state that it is blamed for everything.
He said: 'Today, everything that Umno does is seen as wrong, everything that Umno says is believed to be untrue.
'Indeed Umno, as well as BN, has become everyone's favourite whipping boy, labelled as the cause of every defect and discordance, and blamed as the perpetrator of immoral behaviour and misconduct even when such actions are committed by those who are members of political parties opposed to Umno,' he said.
Opposition hammered too
Mr Abdullah said the opposition too has to get its house in order.
He said: 'Umno members should not be treated as garbage bins, merely to collect blame and slander.
'It is not reasonable to believe that members and supporters of the opposition parties are free from sins or flaws. Certainly they cannot all be saints,' he added.
He said recently, the Malays have begun to feel threatened by demands which are seen to be extreme and unreasonable by non-Malays upholding the 'Malaysian Malaysia' slogan that is vocally championed by the opposition alliance.
'There are those among the leaders of the opposition alliance who have ridiculed the sovereignty of the Malay rulers in an ill-mannered and uncouth fashion, openly insulted the Malays and heaped vulgar and crude abuse on Malay organisations,' he said.
Major changes
Mr Abdullah listed some of the changes that needed to be made:
Better discipline
He said regulations and procedures may be needed so that the party can be administered in a more disciplined and controlled manner.
Limiting terms
Mr Abdullah suggested limiting the number of terms for those holding office and giving every member a right to vote, which will also help eradicate money politics.
Race
Mr Abdullah also said Umno should not turn its back on its responsibility towards safeguarding the position of Malays and bumiputeras. At the same time, it must steer clear of a racist mindset.
'Umno must never adopt racial and religious positions that are extremist. Umno must never practice discrimination to the extent that non-Malays view it as a racist party,' he said.
Electric Paper
Singapore
29/03/09
THE Umno delegates seated in the cool, air-conditioned auditorium at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur suddenly felt the temperature go up.
The heat was emanating from the least likely of people - their gentle and quiet departing prime minister and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Mr Abdullah did not mince words in his hard-hitting indictment of the ruling party yesterday morning, saying it was contaminated by greed, complacency and internal rivalries.
According to liberal news portal Malaysiakini, some considered it his best speech in his long public career
Mr Abdullah is due to hand over the prime minister's post to his deputy, Mr Najib Razak, soon after the 59th Umno general assembly ends this week.
Complacency and greed
In his last speech to delegates as Umno president, Mr Abdullah said: 'We were intoxicated by our own achievements and we became complacent. We believed that we had become all-powerful. We have put our own positions within the party first.'
Mr Abdullah said the 8 Mar polls, which handed the opposition control of a third of parliamentary seats in an unprecedented result, was a sign that 'Umno's glory has dimmed'.
'Materialism has seeped into the party, making a number of party members greedy and avaricious,' said Mr Abdullah.
'The path that we choose will determine whether we continue to remain relevant or whether we are reduced to a forgotten footnote in the pages of history.'
Mr Abdullah said they must answer the questions 'what went wrong?' and 'why and how did we go wrong?'
Last chance
Asking Umno to come to its senses, Mr Abdullah said many believe if Umno and Barisan Nasional do not change, then the 8 Mar election will be the last time BN forms the government.
'After this (if we do not change), the people outside this hall will not vote for us again. Many have voiced the view that 'Umno needs to change'.
'But what I hope to hear is for you to say 'I will change' and that we have the courage to follow up those words with actions.
'It would be a grave travesty if we do not understand that we are Umno and as long as we do not change, Umno will not change,' he said.
For Umno to remain relevant, it must be willing to make sacrifices, adhere to moderation and 'be governed by our humanity', Mr Abdullah added.
He said the party must 'rid ourselves of our arrogance and conceit that we are the only ones who are right, that we are the only ones who know all' and distance itself from corruption.
Whipping boy
Mr Abdullah said Umno has reached such a state that it is blamed for everything.
He said: 'Today, everything that Umno does is seen as wrong, everything that Umno says is believed to be untrue.
'Indeed Umno, as well as BN, has become everyone's favourite whipping boy, labelled as the cause of every defect and discordance, and blamed as the perpetrator of immoral behaviour and misconduct even when such actions are committed by those who are members of political parties opposed to Umno,' he said.
Opposition hammered too
Mr Abdullah said the opposition too has to get its house in order.
He said: 'Umno members should not be treated as garbage bins, merely to collect blame and slander.
'It is not reasonable to believe that members and supporters of the opposition parties are free from sins or flaws. Certainly they cannot all be saints,' he added.
He said recently, the Malays have begun to feel threatened by demands which are seen to be extreme and unreasonable by non-Malays upholding the 'Malaysian Malaysia' slogan that is vocally championed by the opposition alliance.
'There are those among the leaders of the opposition alliance who have ridiculed the sovereignty of the Malay rulers in an ill-mannered and uncouth fashion, openly insulted the Malays and heaped vulgar and crude abuse on Malay organisations,' he said.
Major changes
Mr Abdullah listed some of the changes that needed to be made:
Better discipline
He said regulations and procedures may be needed so that the party can be administered in a more disciplined and controlled manner.
Limiting terms
Mr Abdullah suggested limiting the number of terms for those holding office and giving every member a right to vote, which will also help eradicate money politics.
Race
Mr Abdullah also said Umno should not turn its back on its responsibility towards safeguarding the position of Malays and bumiputeras. At the same time, it must steer clear of a racist mindset.
'Umno must never adopt racial and religious positions that are extremist. Umno must never practice discrimination to the extent that non-Malays view it as a racist party,' he said.
Electric Paper
Singapore
29/03/09
bodowi will be remembered as the idoit to hand over our nation to a cold blood murderer.
ReplyDeletepergilah tidur!!!