It’s feared that the Umno General Assembly next week will avoid honest debate on the issues of the day.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin has trotted out an old cliché, change or be changed, to warn the ruling party in a Malay daily on Saturday that it’s still in grave peril after winning the last two General Elections “by the skin of its teeth”.
He was referring to the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss of its two-thirds majority in 2008; and its failure to win it back last year and the results in the recent outing being even worse than in the previous one.
Muhyiddin’s choice of the Malay daily to deliver his message, on the eve of the Umno General Assembly, was ironic as it’s perceived as shrilly opposed to change of any kind in the nation’s politics.
The paper has instead chosen to make the Chinese community in particular as scapegoats for Umno’s and BN’s woes in electoral outings.
“I am saying that we have reached a rather critical stage, if no change or renewal appears to be happening, the concern is that we will lose,” said Muhyiddin, also the Deputy Prime Minister, in the Malay daily. “The signs are clear in front of us.”
The change or be changed theme comes with a caveat: “Never forget that Umno’s rise and growth was to champion bangsa, agama, negara (race, religion and country).”
“That has never changed,” warns Muhyiddin. “Our methods can be a little different but the message is the same.”
In directing his criticisms at the Malay daily and “extremists” in Umno and its NGOs, he asked: “When we use language, isn’t there a way to convey our message clearly without offending others?”
In a no-brainer, Muhyiddin pointed out the obvious in resuming debate on the change theme: that Umno was still licking its wounds from the beating it received in 2008, obviously at the hands of the people, when the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance won by default and couldn’t believe the results for two weeks.
To add insult to injury, he added, the party was plagued by internal strife.
“There are still internal issues which have not been resolved, there are still fights for positions, money politics, carelessness, negligence and forgetfulness, and this includes the party’s wings,” lamented Muhyiddin.
“We have to self-reflect and admit to this, but we must also take firmer, braver and more effective action.”
Taking a fatherly approach with the party’s junior wings, he wonders what else that they could do besides doing more of the same i.e. tackling issues raised by the people and raising awareness among the people on the true nature of the party’s struggle.
“Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri have not faded, become weakened, or are not keeping silent at all,” said Muhyiddin in springing to their defence. “But there’s a perception that they are no longer like in the old days when they used to come forward if any issue was raised and act as a pressure lobby.”
“This perception has been going on for quite some time now and it must be changed. It cannot go on.”
The Umno Deputy President urged the wings to return to brass tacks and be clear on the issues that Umno should champion, and the different approaches which can be adopted, “in their fight to uphold bangsa, agama, negara”.
It’s feared that the Umno General Assembly next week will degenerate into the politics of distraction and disruption, marked by rhetoric and polemics, and avoid honest debate on the issues of the day.
If so, it would be the clearest indication that Umno is incapable of change and it will continue to be haunted by Muhyiddin’s “change or be changed” warning.
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin has trotted out an old cliché, change or be changed, to warn the ruling party in a Malay daily on Saturday that it’s still in grave peril after winning the last two General Elections “by the skin of its teeth”.
He was referring to the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss of its two-thirds majority in 2008; and its failure to win it back last year and the results in the recent outing being even worse than in the previous one.
Muhyiddin’s choice of the Malay daily to deliver his message, on the eve of the Umno General Assembly, was ironic as it’s perceived as shrilly opposed to change of any kind in the nation’s politics.
The paper has instead chosen to make the Chinese community in particular as scapegoats for Umno’s and BN’s woes in electoral outings.
“I am saying that we have reached a rather critical stage, if no change or renewal appears to be happening, the concern is that we will lose,” said Muhyiddin, also the Deputy Prime Minister, in the Malay daily. “The signs are clear in front of us.”
The change or be changed theme comes with a caveat: “Never forget that Umno’s rise and growth was to champion bangsa, agama, negara (race, religion and country).”
“That has never changed,” warns Muhyiddin. “Our methods can be a little different but the message is the same.”
In directing his criticisms at the Malay daily and “extremists” in Umno and its NGOs, he asked: “When we use language, isn’t there a way to convey our message clearly without offending others?”
In a no-brainer, Muhyiddin pointed out the obvious in resuming debate on the change theme: that Umno was still licking its wounds from the beating it received in 2008, obviously at the hands of the people, when the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance won by default and couldn’t believe the results for two weeks.
To add insult to injury, he added, the party was plagued by internal strife.
“There are still internal issues which have not been resolved, there are still fights for positions, money politics, carelessness, negligence and forgetfulness, and this includes the party’s wings,” lamented Muhyiddin.
“We have to self-reflect and admit to this, but we must also take firmer, braver and more effective action.”
Taking a fatherly approach with the party’s junior wings, he wonders what else that they could do besides doing more of the same i.e. tackling issues raised by the people and raising awareness among the people on the true nature of the party’s struggle.
“Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri have not faded, become weakened, or are not keeping silent at all,” said Muhyiddin in springing to their defence. “But there’s a perception that they are no longer like in the old days when they used to come forward if any issue was raised and act as a pressure lobby.”
“This perception has been going on for quite some time now and it must be changed. It cannot go on.”
The Umno Deputy President urged the wings to return to brass tacks and be clear on the issues that Umno should champion, and the different approaches which can be adopted, “in their fight to uphold bangsa, agama, negara”.
It’s feared that the Umno General Assembly next week will degenerate into the politics of distraction and disruption, marked by rhetoric and polemics, and avoid honest debate on the issues of the day.
If so, it would be the clearest indication that Umno is incapable of change and it will continue to be haunted by Muhyiddin’s “change or be changed” warning.
No comments:
Post a Comment