A BEDTIME STORY STARTS WITH ‘ONCE UPON A TIME…’ AND LULLS THE VOTER TO SLEEP. THE SECOND IS AN ENERGIZER THAT ADDRESSES A FRESH DAWN.
Predicting UMNO earthquakes is impossible but preparing for them must be a high priority
People of Malaysia are notoriously shortchanged and sidelined,
highly vitiated atmosphere prevailing in the country, characterized by various forms of intolerance Najib must ensure an atmosphere that is conducive to free and fearless expression
the entire nation and world knows that it was a corrupt regime. "It was one of the worst, most corrupt regime in the country's history and also one of the most ineffective regime in the country's history, I leave it to their wisdom. I do not wish to join issue with them.
Will the great Najib wash his blood clean from UMNO hands?many recall those horrific days of UMNO, and many entangle themselves in unending debates opinion on Najib remains as polarized as the UMNO is. and, this debate will never end because we never learn to know,the difference between Milk and Toddy of same colour but different in taste if you were either the hunter or the hunted
Umno Secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan citing intolerance in UMNO, saying Umno Secretary-general is misleading UMNO people as part of a systematic, orchestrated and malicious campaign"Let us not be misled by campaign of these political opportunists like Tengku Adnan.a harden Communist ," he said, terming those protesting as ones having a "political mind" and dared them to come out in the open and play politics. have a political mind. If you have to do politics, come out straight and openly do politics simple people do not approve of things which are done by fringe elements and have every right and freedom to condemn that.
Tengku Razaleigh said he did not know if he was one of the seven currently in danger of being suspended for openly disparaging the party, but added that he was prepared for any eventualities."I don't know, I leave it to fate. I'm prepared to face anything, I've been in the party longer than any of those people who are there. I've been in Parliament longer than anybody in Parliament," said the former finance minister who has been an MP since 1974.
Umno Secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.Tengku Adnan, who is federal territories minister, said Umno has its own constitution and code of ethics to which all members should adhere. Malay ruling party was monitoring the seven leaders.
It is normal for communist parties and organisations with weak leaders to track its members to ensure that they toed the line, said veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.When asked for his comments on Umno investigating seven unknown members for disciplinary breaches, the Gua Musang MP said: "All organisations have rules and regulations. Organisations like trade unions and communist parties also have such rules.
"They investigate, track the movements (of members), particularly organisations with weak leaders, they want to make sure they follow them," he told reporters outside Parliament today. However, Tengku Razaleigh, more popularly known as Ku Li, remained coy when asked if he thought Umno was weak.
"I didn't say anything. The English would say, 'you are putting words in my mouth'," he said with a smile.He also refused to be drawn on questions regarding whether Umno had become less tolerant of criticism."Well, I suppose they have their own way of doing things, each organisation would like to see people following the the rules, that's only natural," he said.He added that parties needed to tolerate those with different views as this was one of the ways a party could be straightened.
Tengku Razaleigh recently appeared in a press conference with several senior Umno leaders including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, to denounce Putrajaya's usage of a new security law, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), to silent critics.Dr Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Shafie have been critical of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal and some RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts.
Some Umno grassroots members, who now feel uneasy facing the public, are saying that scandal-tainted Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a liability to the party.
Trust among the rank and file towards the party president has been affected by ongoing controversies, from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to the RM2.6 billion put in his personal accounts, allegedly as a donation, with members finding it hard to swallow the explanations given. "The people want Najib to step down. Even if we talk nicely they do not want to hear, so what more to say?
Asrul was one of the grassroots leaders who quit his post over unhappiness with Najib, and blamed the prime minister as one of the reasons why the people are losing their trust in the Malay ruling party.
"We do not want to see a situation whereby because of Datuk Seri, the people lose their trust in Umno," he said in referring to Najib's honorific title.
He also agreed with the formula mooted by former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for Najib, who is also the prime minister, to step down while maintaining the current government, stressing that the proposal was not to topple the government but only to replace the prime minister.
"If the prime minister receives a no-confidence vote from parliamentarians and the motion gets majority support, then he has to step down. But the existing government will not fall," Asrul added.
The plan for a no-confidence vote using statutory declarations against Najib by federal lawmakers from both sides of the political divide was revealed recently by deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said he had to put a stop to it.
An anonymous blog then wrote the names of 20 Barisan Nasional MPs who were involved in the plot, but they later denied it.
Rumblings at the grassroots level against Najib have been audible, as seen from some party division meetings that have taken place. One outburst that was recorded on video and which went viral was that of Langkawi Umno Wanita Anina Saadudin, who said Najib had "lied" to Umno members by claiming all of them supported him.
Such internal turmoil is causing low morale, said former Keliang branch youth chief Moohamad Faizal Abdul Raub.
"We, the grassroots, are helpless to face the public's scorn and accusations. It is the grassroots who have to face the people, but not the leaders who do not know the sentiment on the ground.
"Are other Umno members willing to see their own party damaged by the attitude of such leaders," he said in an interview.
Before this, Faizal said they were still able to counter issues played up by the opposition but the revelation over the RM2.6 billion in Najib's personal accounts had eroded their trust.
"Initially (Najib) said he wanted to sue and did not admit the allegation regarding RM2.6 billion. But after the MACC announcement, they admitted.
"Do you think the people on the ground do not know how to evaluate matters?" he asked, referring to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) announcement that the money was a donation and not from 1MDB.
Faizal had also stepped down from his post in May due to unhappiness over the turmoil engulfing the party.
The Umno Youth machinery is one of the most active in the party and helps a lot during election campaigns but Faizal said his friends in the party are now feeling listless following recent developments.
"Enthusiasm among my friends in the youth movement has faded. We are the ones who will go to the ground to campaign and meet with the people. But the top leaders refuse to listen to voices on the ground," he said.
More disappointingly, Najib has made many selfish decisions, for example, last month's Cabinet reshuffle, said Asrul.
"If it is true that the president decided to reshuffle the Cabinet by asking over (mobile messaging app) WhatsApp, this means he no longer believes or is confident with the supreme council, and no longer respects the existing council," he said.
Umno observer Shahbudin Husin said he does not discount the possibility that if elections were to be held soon, Najib's posters will not be prominently displayed – unlike previous times – because of the negative perception towards him.
"Do not be surprised if there is a by-election in the near future, Najib's pictures will not be used during campaigning," he said, adding that this would be an indicator of current public sentiments towards the prime minister.
Political analyst Dr Azizuddin Mohd Sani said Umno now is facing a leadership crisis and 1MDB, which is seen as being associated with the party.
"One of the main issues facing Umno now is leadership and for sure, one of it is related to 1MDB, which is seen as being synonymous with the party itself," he added.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said yesterday that seven leaders, whom he did not name, were in danger of being suspended after openly criticising the party.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah confirmed he had heard of a plot to oust Muhyiddin was sure of its authenticity
The normally soft-spoken and mild mannered Muhyiddin Yassin took many by surprise with his latest statement, in which he accused Umno members of being cowards for not backing him.
This was perhaps the proverbial last straw that broke the camel's back.
Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he is in the dark over the identities of the seven party leaders investigated by the party for publicly disparaging it. “I don't know anything about it. I just heard about it," he briefly said in Parliament when asked if he was among the seven.
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