WAKE UP, NAJIB! Support for you not only superficial but WORSE STILL, it's also CONDITIONAL

‘But the minute the gravy train stops, Najib will be in trouble.’

Kim Quek: Former finance minister Daim Zainuddin is right that it is Umno’s political culture to show support to the incumbent leader, however, such support could prove to be skin-deep when the crunch comes.

But when is the crunch? It is when Umno leaders realise that the crisis of confidence in their leader through his misdeeds is so serious that Umno may lose power, thus endangering their own positions.

Exposing corruption alone is not enough to topple Najib for that has long been Umno’s political culture as well, institutionalised ironically by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his economic czar Daim themselves during the long Mahathir reign.

However, the tipping point against Najib may come through a combination of mega scandals such as the gigantic 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the Altantuya murder, flaunting of personal wealth, luxurious jets, the chaotic aftermath of the goods and services tax (GST), rising economic hardship, and above all, the realisation of Umno’s support base that they have been sold out by their leaders.

Dr M

It is this last factor - fear of losing support - that prompted Umno to bring in a host of repressive legislations that it hopes will contain the damage.

But with the information age, such crude attempt to cow the opposition and silence critics will be futile; and it will only catalyse the shifting of the middle ground even more to the opposition.

Salvation for Umno can only come from genuine reform, of which they have proven to be incapable. Umno’s days are thus numbered.

Kingfisher: One is left wandering as to who is the solution to the problem or the problem itself.

Some would speculate that Umno itself may be the problem while admittedly many Malaysians would also agree that in the past and for the immediate present, Umno is also the solution.

However institutional developments in the arena of politics, civil service, and overall in socio-economic discourse and good governance, Malaysia is still hopefully a fledgling nation with a steep learning curve and not one that assumes a know-it-all indulgence. That would be detrimental and even disastrous.

Commentable: Daim has warned that "in front, of course, they (Umno members) will support... but at the back, we do not know... that has been Umno's way".

Am I guessing correctly that what he was trying to say but can't say it out too clearly is that they are a bunch of lying, deceitful, backstabbing men and women with no integrity, honesty and loyalty to anyone except himself and his own position?

So looking at it in a wider context, the kind of things that these people pledge to do for their own kind and for the country may likewise not be genuine and just as superficial.

So Daim may be spot on when he said "if we keep giving wrong answers then it will raise many questions".

That's because if you keep on lying and giving the wrong answers, the rakyat will see through you sooner than later and that will raise many problems when the GE comes around.

JD Lovrenciear: Daim, although many of us have criticised you and sometimes had misgivings about your ways, at least here, you and Mahathir are talking sensibly.

If you truly know things are going seriously wrong in Umno, will you save this country quickly and not wait till we sink permanently into deep ravines of economic and financial chaos?

Headhunter: I think Daim is spot on. I remember when Pak Lah (former PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) was under attack, the usual public display of support from the sycophants and apple polishers were very visible.

They immediately switched their allegiance when Najib replaced Pak Lah. It's the herd mentality or for a better description in the context of Umno, a stampede.

Odysseus: Daim has been around for long time to see things happening before his eyes. Mahathir has failed to even get himself elected as a delegate to Umno general assembly. The former Kedah MB was given support by the state assemblymen instead.

So, Daim is completely correct to say the support is superficial.

SusahKes: The issue is not so much as to whether Daim or Mahathir have a point to prove in their statements against Najib; many others in the country have been saying it a lot longer, way before he even became PM.

But the way, the patronage system in Umno has been built over the years, it allows for mediocre talents to reach the upper echelons of political power.

Just play the game; but when you reach the top, you'll find that whomever that Umno pushes to the top, is eventually bereft of any statesmanship spirit or skills to steer the country towards a better life.

And that's what's been happening since the days of Mahathir; he may have built tall buildings and improved highways, but he also allowed mediocrity to take hold of Umno and BN. And this is ultimately, his legacy.

And what happens, if or should Najib step down or be ousted? Will Pota (Prevention of Terrorism Act) be reversed? Will extremist NGOs be put in their place? Will there be a resolution for the Teoh Beng Hock or Altantuya Shaariibuu cases?

What will happen to the TPPA (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement) - which Najib's golfing buddy aka the US president are so keen on signing?

Sb: Politics in Bolehland is a very expensive game. Need to feed many if you want to occupy the top seat.

You need many ways to build up your funds. Some need to write letters for rich underworld figures, some need to earn as intermediaries doing maintenance work, etc, some need to sell timbers...

Mushiro: Umno's support for Najib is not only superficial but it is conditional - as long as the gravy train serves the Umno divisional leaders well.

For all that can happen to the country through 1MDB scandal, the Altantuya murder or the massive national debt of RM550 billion, Umno is not bothered.

But the minute the gravy train stops, Najib will be in trouble. That was why the GST was desperately implemented - to keep the gravy train moving.

Blobfishface: Were Daim and Mahathir really a better class of villains than Rosmah Mansor and her husband, Najib - or did they get away with so much more hanky-panky because the Internet and social media only caught on towards the end of their terms in office? - M'kini