THE Umno general assembly this time will be the last before the general election. I'm saying it because analysts said the same thing of the party general assembly last year. But there was no general election.
This assembly is therefore crucial. Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has already made it clear ahead of the assembly that Umno has to show not only to the Malays but the rest of the country that it is stronger and more solid now to face the general election.
"What is this general assembly about? Simple, it is about the general election and it is about making sure Umno remains in power," a senior Umno leader told this blogger...
Najib has been in full gear the past three years touring the country, going to the ground to meet the people and at the same time implementing the government and economic transformation programmes. Besides fulfilling his international engagements, including buttressing relations with the US in 2010.
This is the final home stretch for Umno. Now it is up to Umno delegates to take it up from there.
Some Umno leaders this blogger spoke to said they hoped the Umno president will be forthright in his address which will set the tone for the assembly,
"I think his forthrightness will be appreciated", said former Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
"It is a bitter medicine that we have to swallow. At this time, he has to be cruel to be kind. For Umno, it is make or break. We have to regain our lost ground", she added.
In previous assemblies, the party president had always called for the party to close ranks, to be united, to put party interst above self and so forth.
After 1999, when the party faced losses in the general election, a recurring message had been reform reinvention, re-engineering, renewal, rejuvenation and revival.
Political observers and analysts had a field day making their assessments -- protest against Anwar Ibrahim's sacking, rejection of Umno by Malays and so forth.
But in 2004, Umno and the BN swept the general election with a landslide victory and increased popular votes.
This was after Tun (then Datuk Seri) Dr Mahathir passed the premiership to Tun (then Datuk Seri) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Again analyses abound -- feel good factor, Pak Lah being the benign face of Umno, rejection of PAS Islam, endorsement of Umno's moderate brand of Islam, Pak Lah's promises to fight corruption and so forth,
BN won 198 of the 219 seats in parliamnent with Umno 109, increasing its number from the last elections. MCA and MIC too gained a few more seats.
PAS won only seven (Opposition leader Hadi Awang lost his parliamentary seat), DAP got 12 and Keadilan lost four of the five seats contested (Dr Wan Azizah Ismail was the sole Keadilan MP in parliament).
Then, four years on, it was a drastic change, a shocking scenario.
In 2008 general election which everyone calls a political tsunami, the BN lost five states. It won 140 of 222 parliamentary seats - (Umno 79, MCA 15, MIC 3 and Gerakan 2). Keadilan won 31, PAS 23 and DAP 28. With a total number of 82, they quickly cobbled up a "pakatan".
So many factors conspired to bring down the BN. Many said the oppositon won by default because the BN was arrogant, because of the son-in-law (Khairy Jamaluddin who is Pak Lah's son-in-law), Hindraf and so forth.
Whatever.
It is no different this time. Najib's message is for Umno to be stronger and more united. But circumstances are not the same.
After the devastation in 2008, it is not, and cannot be, business as usual for Umno although Umno, pointed out an observer, had always delivered. It is clearly the strongest component in the coalition.
"We are facing a different Malaysia. Umno cannot be rallying for the Malays only. It should appeal to the non-Malays as well. More so now, with MCA and MIC in a weakened position," said a senior Umno leader.
Najib has set the tone since he took over as PM and party president.
"He is the face of Umno and he is the face of the BN. He is a popular leader. Anywhere he goes, people support him. He has convinced people that he is the leader and the champion of Malays and non-Malays. If this were a prime ministerial race, he will win. But I cannot say the same about Umno," said a senior MCA leader.
The rest of the country will be keenly following -- as always -- proceedings in the Umno general assembly which begins on Thursday at the Putra World Trade centre in KL.
Malays and non-Malays will want to know what Umno is made up of, Has it reformed? Is it sensitive to changes in the country.
For one thing, Umno has got to convince the Malays-- who are so divided that it is the only party that can represent and protect their interests. And we're not talking just about rural Malays but also those in ubran areas.
For another, Umno has got to strike a balance -- promoting Malay interest but at the same time convincing non-Malays that it is also there for them. That is a just party for all.
"The history of Umno is one of inclusiveness, as evident since we achived independence when the Malay leaders invited the non-Malays to be part of the Malayan government in power-sharing and guaranteed their rights and interests.
"People have forgotten this and the opposition has exploited this and have kept smearing Umno with a racist label, relentlessly pushing that perception.
"This is the time for Umno to remind Malaysians that the party looks out not just for the Malays but everyone else, that proposals and propositions in the assembly translate to national policies for everyone's interest," said an Umno veteran.
Umno should be reminded of the 2006 general assembly when it for the first time it was telecast live.
Passionate debates on driving the Malay agenda spooked non-Malays who perceived them to be extremist.
All said and done, post assembly, Umno leaders and members have got to work hard for Umno to be returned to power and for the mandate from the rakyat.
They have to reach out to the people because that was how PAS, DAP and PKR did it in 2008.
20 comments:
To be honest and not bias,Najib will win re-election as an MP.But Umno/BN winning the GE,I am not that sure.My analysis is that Umno/BN win win small(by a few seats)or lose big(by many seats)The rakyat is already fed up of corruption,cronism and racial discrimination.
Maybe people working for companies affiliated to Umno or Umno cronies think that it is their duty to write or say good things,support or vote for Umno/BN.These are what is commonly called the tongkat dependents or blindly guided supporters of Umno.
Professional journalists working in mainstrean media should be unbias and differentiate themselves from this tongkat group.The country will be freer and more prosperous without the corrupted Umno/BN.Do you not agree with this last statement,kak?
Umno lacks good leadership to lead the coalition into battle with PR this coming GE.My best guess is that the rakyat will kick out Umno,MCA and MIC this GE.Good riddance to bad garbage.
Umno's biggest challenge fits the title.This GE13 will be the hardest fought,dirtiest and tightest election in Malaysian history.
If the corrupted Umno/BN wins again,the country will follow the Pigg's nations and plunge into bankruptcy.FDI will evaporate into thin air,unemployment soaring to all time high's.The people will take to the streets,and the rich will flee the country will their ill gotten gains.Wait and see if this will become a self fulfillimg prophecy.
The raping of Felda settlers rights to their land,selling it to orang putihs and the likes,like a firesale.Promising the settlers a windfall.What can the settlers do to own 800 shares allocated to them,paying financing fees plus interest.Then sell the shares to make a windfall.Stupid damn robber barons we have in the gomen.
Then when things go wrong they bribed the settlers with 15,000 ringgit to shut them up.RM15,000 for generations of farmers sweat and blood toiling the lands.Come this GE,the Felda settlers better show the Umno the middle finger or fingers,depending on how many middle fingers one family had.
The lastest news from singapore,the latest news from deepak jaikishan would sink najib.
Can one stop the embedded corruption in all places high and low, the land deal by one wanita chief, etc will slowly put bn to sleep.
The whispers on the street is that bn will lose heavily.
The roll downhill has started.
Please visit the blog by "mamasita mamamia" for a good read.
Nuraina,the sooner Umno/BN is thrown to the dogs,the better it will be for all Malaysians.Then all the races will come together as a people.Their rule and divide mentality to have the Malays rally behind them will finally be over this GE13.Even in your own NST,factions belonging to Umno cronies are at play.To get promoted one need not be smart,just bodek and be a crony.
Although Anwar is a by product of the useless Umno,it is better to have him than the Umnoputras.At least we will have PAS and DAP to watch over him.Anwar cannot bully PAS and DAP,because they will all have almost the same number of seats.And they all need each another.
The Umno can thump their noses at the MCA,MIC and Gerakan as they deemed them irrelevant.Only now they will need them as every seat counts.Even the small fry Abrahim Ali can tell CSL to go fly kite.Just imagine the big fishes talking to CSL and Palanivel.
This coming Umno GA is the usual rallying of the troops.The only thing is the troops have to be paid to turn up.That is the Umno way of having loyalty.As long as the ringgit flowing does not dry up,the troops will be screaming hidup Najib,hidup Umno.
Once the money dries up,the troops will dissapear.Vamoose.The Umno is corrupted from the top to the bottom ranks of the office boys.
Malaysians must think with their heads,and not vote with their heels,when entering the voting booths.This GE is very important for future generations to come.Do not vote for Umno only because you are Malay,and DAP because you are Chinese.Vote for whom you think will be good for the rakyat.
Remember,vote with your head and not with your heels.We must vote out corruption and cronism.Always remember under which dominant party's rule that "Malays are called beggars in their own country".
anon@7:08,
basically i prefer not to engage in discussions in the comment box especially with people who already have prejudices or see only what they want to see.
I'm able to see the good and bad of things. I don;t have prejudices and I have an open mind.
Umno is a good party with good objectives formed during a time when this young country was achieving Merdeka. the founding fathers in Umno gave us what we have today.
But with all parties that have ruled for that long, arrogance creep in among members.
In 1999 and 2008, umno was punished.
I'm not an Umno member and I don't agree with some of its leaders. But so what? I don;t agree withe some in DAP, PKR and PAS either.
but i'm not going to whack Umno and berate it and maki hamun Umno.
If you want to forget you can. But Umno has made contributions to the country. The leaders of the country are Umno leaders. You have a problem with that, okay, nothing anybody can do.
Umno is racist? You want me to say yes? Just because Umno is a Malay-based (and Bumiputera) party doesn't mean it is racist. You must be totally hateful of Umno to label Umno as racist.
Of course you have some very right-wing members.
umno is corrupted/corrupt? Corrupt leaders exist everywhere in every party. We the rakyat are the watchdog. But if you biased, you will want to believe that only Umno is corrupt.
Professional journalist can choose who they support or want to support..
I don't agree with your last statement because I am not blind or deaf.
Sister,may I say something.I am pretty sure that many of your readers who tuned in are Umno members,supporters or civil servants.
What I want to know is how come not one has come out to say good things about Umno.Do not tell me that Umno is so useless that no one wants to give it a pat on the back.The last time I checked,it was called Umno B.That might be the reason its support is waning,even among the Malays.Because it is championing for a different cause.The cause for the love of the ringgit.
I bet if PM get rid of TDM , the Mamaks and all the right wingers and all those Islamists in UMNO, there will be overnight, a total change in the perception by the rakyat.
That seems to be the only way forward for the real Melayus to take back power and revive UMNO spirit back to the Merdeka days.
As to revive BN, also have to get rid of their Presidents who are all morally unlikeable, corrupted or ineffective.
Still don't get it or willing to take a chance to lose power totally?
Wait till the candidates names are announced for the GE.Those unwinnable Umno warlords not nominated will be on the warpath.My best guess is that Umno will self implode even before the GE.That is the reason party leaders,including party elder Mahathir are calling for warlords not selected not to sabotage the party.
Umno and Umno B are world's apart.Umno is for all Malaysians.Umno B is for a small selected group of privilege Malays and their cronies to rob the country high and dry.
The whispers making the rounds are what if Umno/BN lost the GE.Will Umno surprised by pulling a white rabbit out of the hat?
In Umno money talks and buys loyalty.
Once a confidante of the first couple,carpet bagger Deepak is starting to spill the beans on the first family.Because he is getting screwed all over from a Wanita Umno leader.And Najib,as usual sitting on his hands,has got carpetman Deepak upset.
So upset carpetman Deepak goes to the busybodies online opposition supporting portals to cry out his grievances.Why?Because the Umno/BN controlled mainstream medias wouldn't even look at him,snubbing crybaby Deepak in the nose.
Common man's street lingo.Play with fire and one day you will get burnt by the fire.Play with sharks and one day will get eaten by the sharks.Hehehe.
Umno/BN is kaput.This will be a fact the night the election results are announced.
Guys and gals,
remember the tv series Dallas.Well.do you guys and gals watch the season finale 'who shot J.R.'Well,it wasn't that thrilling and suspense as the hype.
But we have a new thriller and suspense leading up to GE13.It involves carpetman and moneyboy Deepak.He has been screwed out of big bucks by a Selangor Wanita bigwit.And Deepak is upset that his SOS calls to his benefactor Najib,has fallen on deaf ears.
So to get even,carpetman Deepak is starting to spill the beans not only on his scammed land deal.He is spilling the beans on his involvement with Najib and the PI Bala.
With scandals after scandals coming out involving Umno leaders,it will be a miracle if Umno/BN wins this coming GE.
With people like Mohedeen,Abrahim Ali,Thambi Chik(promoter of Anwar porno)Mohd Isa,Umno cannot lose.But it will be a miracle if they won.
Can anyone explain why carpetman Deepak is coming out with relevations that might involved his benefactor Najib.And so damn close to the Umno GA and GE.
Are the factions in Umno at play again.Has Deepak gone(bought)over by the warlords opposed to Najib.There is never any loyalty among Umno troopers and cronies except the love of the ringgit.Damn these leeches.
the insider 12.57 pm
The reasons Umno members are even ashamed to come out commenting anonymously in support of Umnoputras speaks volumes of the support that Umno will be getting this coming GE.
Whether Najib is carpetman Deepak's benefactor or not,Deepak still has to pay the price of being a crony involving in dirty deals.Trying to coax a witness what to say is a felony.He got off the insider trading in a penny stock supplied by Najib or Rosmah,by saying he doesn't need the money and will donate the profits to charity.
Umno B(and not Umno) is full of crooks from the top to the bottom.It is time they get chased out of Putrajaya.Enact the hudud law on them.
If the oppossitions are so bad for m'sia, cancel the election. Let the party that gave us the independence rules forever and ever. We are all suppose to be thankful what.....
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