Umno: Villain, hero or mere ‘JAGUH KAMPUNG’?

The 2014 Umno General Assembly is around the corner and be assured that the delegates will all be fired up to highlight hot button issues that have been clouding the country.

But before we dwell further let us ponder and ask, is indeed Umno a fallen hero, frail and losing its glitter or has it all along been a heroic-villain? One may well get mixed responses depending who we ask the question. Let us not forget that Umno has been the spine of the ruling coalition since independence. Other parties in the coalition have largely been sleeping partners who have not really done much for the people until they were abruptly and violently awoken to their feet during the 2008 and 2013 general elections. Maybe a little too late, so they may well take time to bounce back and gain lost grounds.

Whether perceived or real, Umno has been ridiculed to levels never before by the opposition. Umno has been painted as corrupt, unreliable, practices cronyism, nepotism and dictatorial in their style of governing the country. And the bitter topping has largely been dressed by Umno’s ex-members after experiencing fall outs with the top guns in the party.

So, will Umno’s 2014 AGM be any different from the years before and not merely a platform for letting off steam against the opposition for reducing their popularity locally and globally? It is not farfetched to say that their annual meetings have thus far been dominated by issues of fault finding and defending their resolutions no matter how ridiculous some may sound.

No doubt many, including me, have been critical in slicing Umno’s methodologies in governing the nation, but in all fairness and under the precept of giving the benefit of doubt, Umno may actually be on a self-realisation path. Nevertheless this comes with a gigantic “BUT”.

Umno leaders must take the bold step and a quantum leap starting in the AGM by admonishing their little Napoleans that have brought about significant damage to the party. History is testimony to the fact that powerful empires have collapsed not due to external forces but rather being sabotaged from within the corridors of power. Greed for self and their cronies eventually accumulates to points of non-return thus opponents will seize the opportunity to capitalise.

Though Umno is a Malay-based party but they seem to have forgotten that as a political front it has to champion and defend the rights of the rakyat in toto and not on the premise of “Umno is doing a favour to the rest”.

Are Umno and its leaders willing to strive for the betterment of the country or does it still hold on to the principle of “equality enshrined within the umbrella of inequality”?

Many have called upon Umno to take a moderate path whilst championing the rights of the Malays and Islam but unfortunately this has not been welcome by the majority of its members. Their deep rooted ideologies have indeed hurt other component parties in Barisan Nasional resulting in reduced majority in Parliament. If this continues to be the stand of Umno, they may well be formulating a perfect departure of Barisan Nasional from Putrajaya.

Consciously or otherwise, Umno seem to be boxing itself into being a mere “Jaguh Kampung” party. It is evident from the past two general elections that the urban voters have decided to shun the party and their affiliates. It is not going to be an easy path for Umno to gain lost ground as voters are more matured and informed. Mounting heaps of self praises and bashing their opponents in the general assembly will not bring back votes. On the contrary it may just back fire and no amount of damage control will help. –TMI