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| A rare photo - Samy, Soi Lek, Tsu Koon |
Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle
Prime Minister Najib Razak sounded the death knell for his own Barisan Nasional partners, especially the MCA, Gerakan and MIC, when he announced that new members including individuals could be directly inducted into the ruling coalition.
Pundits said that the decision, which was endorsed by the BN supreme council, reflected the pitiful weakness of the leaders of the component parties. Not only were they made to stand by and watch while the door was being mercilessly shut on their own parties, they lacked even the courage to protest.
“It is bad for all BN parties except for Umno. All the rest MCA, Gerakan, MIC and even the East Malaysian parties will lose out. Already they are unable to attract new blood, which has been coming over to DAP, PAS and PKR. Now when Najib drives the final nail into their coffin, they are so feeble they are not able to even speak out,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.
Inclusiveness, my foot!
The Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia since 1957 and is made up of 14 component parties led by Najib’s Umno. Except for the East Malaysian parties and Umno, the rest suffered tremendous losses in the 2008 general election due to perceptions that they were “running dogs” and "subservient" to Umno, and unable to stand up for the communities that they represented.
Prime Minister Najib Razak sounded the death knell for his own Barisan Nasional partners, especially the MCA, Gerakan and MIC, when he announced that new members including individuals could be directly inducted into the ruling coalition.
Pundits said that the decision, which was endorsed by the BN supreme council, reflected the pitiful weakness of the leaders of the component parties. Not only were they made to stand by and watch while the door was being mercilessly shut on their own parties, they lacked even the courage to protest.
“It is bad for all BN parties except for Umno. All the rest MCA, Gerakan, MIC and even the East Malaysian parties will lose out. Already they are unable to attract new blood, which has been coming over to DAP, PAS and PKR. Now when Najib drives the final nail into their coffin, they are so feeble they are not able to even speak out,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.
Inclusiveness, my foot!
The Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia since 1957 and is made up of 14 component parties led by Najib’s Umno. Except for the East Malaysian parties and Umno, the rest suffered tremendous losses in the 2008 general election due to perceptions that they were “running dogs” and "subservient" to Umno, and unable to stand up for the communities that they represented.
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| Doublespeak, hypocrisy and shallowness mark his rule |
Malaysia is expected to hold its next general election in 2011. Yet MCA, Gerakan and MIC have still been unable to re-brand themselves. Although their leaders have spoken out more frequently against Umno’s politics of racial and religious favoritism, their courage has quickly flown out of the window whenever it came to the crucial vote in Parliament. Under Umno's watchful eyes, they have endorsed lopsided bills, bad laws and even the enormously inflated Budget 2011 that was tabled recently.
Furthermore the three parties are tainted by their own presidents. Pundits give little chance to MCA to recover electoral ground for as long as it was led by the scandal-plagued Chua Soi Lek, whose sexual prowess can still be watched on You Tube by all Malaysians after he was secretly filmed having sex with his mistress.
Gerakan’s timid Koh Tsu Koon has never been regarded with much respect and is now condemned by even his own party members for placing priority on his personal position as a Cabinet minister rather than on party matters. Even his predecessor Lim Keng Yaik has called him a washout who would lead Gerakan to the dogs!
As for MIC, how hated or loved is long-time president S Samy Vellu in his own community can be gauged by their demands for his removal. Otherwise, Malaysian Indians have threatened they would continue voting for the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“Inclusiveness, my foot! It is the actual exact opposite. In the end, it only strengthens the hand of the PM, Umno in BN and kill off the rest. The hype stirred up is just another example of Najib's love for glitzy public relations. BN is doing this because their main components especially MCA MIC and Gerakan have become virtually useless,” Perak DAP chairman and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham told Malaysia Chronicle.
“In Pakatan, some civil society leaders approached us to launch a similar program but we are still enjoying a healthy membership recruitment rate and many young talents are signing up fast either to DAP, PAS or PKR. This is something that is not happening at MCA, Gerakan and MIC and this is why BN has to go for direct membership. It is actually a slap in the face for Soi Lek, Tsu Koon and Samy - nothing to do with inclusiveness.”
Selling out directly
Apart from making the unloved MCA, Gerakan and MIC even less attractive than before, pundits warned the latest ploy would further tie new recruits to Najib directly and Umno indirectly.
Furthermore the three parties are tainted by their own presidents. Pundits give little chance to MCA to recover electoral ground for as long as it was led by the scandal-plagued Chua Soi Lek, whose sexual prowess can still be watched on You Tube by all Malaysians after he was secretly filmed having sex with his mistress.
Gerakan’s timid Koh Tsu Koon has never been regarded with much respect and is now condemned by even his own party members for placing priority on his personal position as a Cabinet minister rather than on party matters. Even his predecessor Lim Keng Yaik has called him a washout who would lead Gerakan to the dogs!
As for MIC, how hated or loved is long-time president S Samy Vellu in his own community can be gauged by their demands for his removal. Otherwise, Malaysian Indians have threatened they would continue voting for the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
“Inclusiveness, my foot! It is the actual exact opposite. In the end, it only strengthens the hand of the PM, Umno in BN and kill off the rest. The hype stirred up is just another example of Najib's love for glitzy public relations. BN is doing this because their main components especially MCA MIC and Gerakan have become virtually useless,” Perak DAP chairman and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham told Malaysia Chronicle.
“In Pakatan, some civil society leaders approached us to launch a similar program but we are still enjoying a healthy membership recruitment rate and many young talents are signing up fast either to DAP, PAS or PKR. This is something that is not happening at MCA, Gerakan and MIC and this is why BN has to go for direct membership. It is actually a slap in the face for Soi Lek, Tsu Koon and Samy - nothing to do with inclusiveness.”
Selling out directly
Apart from making the unloved MCA, Gerakan and MIC even less attractive than before, pundits warned the latest ploy would further tie new recruits to Najib directly and Umno indirectly.
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| The racial and religious politics of Umno |
They predicted that the move would backfire as the whole basis for voter disgust against the MCA, Gerakan and MIC was their failure to stand up for their communities. Their leaders were also denounced for having “sold their souls” to Umno for cushy positions and money from questionable sources.
“Now, whoever joins BN through this scheme will be seen as selling their souls directly to Umno and Najib. You see, the pro-BN Malays will join Umno and with this direct membership, Najib is actually asking the Chinese and Indians to support him and Umno directly rather than through MCA, Gerakan and MIC," PKR strategic director told Malaysia Chronicle.
“Now, whoever joins BN through this scheme will be seen as selling their souls directly to Umno and Najib. You see, the pro-BN Malays will join Umno and with this direct membership, Najib is actually asking the Chinese and Indians to support him and Umno directly rather than through MCA, Gerakan and MIC," PKR strategic director told Malaysia Chronicle.
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| Door now open for Konsensus Bebas to join |
“I believe only those in special positions such as perhaps Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim or Zulkifli Noordin and their cohorts would join. Or those non-Malays who covet power more than their communities. For those who value their reputations, they will surely shun this. If they joined, what’s the difference between them and Tsu Koon or Soi Lek? If MCA, Gerakan and MIC cannot change the racial politics of Umno, can they as individual BN members do more? So why join, unless for personal gain? Should we bother to vote for such people who will end up even greater yes-men than Tsu Koon, Soi Lek or Samy?”
On Saturday, Najib made the announcement after the BN supreme council met and adopted the resolution.
"Those interested to join the BN can apply directly to become associate members. However, the BN Supreme Council will determine the rights and privileges of those who become associate members. Associate members will not have the same rights as the members of component parties but we desire to see the BN as an inclusive party which has an open-door policy," Bernama reported Najib as saying.
On Saturday, Najib made the announcement after the BN supreme council met and adopted the resolution.
"Those interested to join the BN can apply directly to become associate members. However, the BN Supreme Council will determine the rights and privileges of those who become associate members. Associate members will not have the same rights as the members of component parties but we desire to see the BN as an inclusive party which has an open-door policy," Bernama reported Najib as saying.
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