Umno is acting very irresponsibly by putting pressure on the prime minister to dissolve Parliament in order to have an early general election this year.
Will Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob buckle under the intense pressure exerted by certain Umno leaders?
Fear is being spread by the Umno supreme council by taking drastic measures to force Umno leaders and members to toe the line of those wanting an early election. Certain Umno leaders have either been suspended or sacked because they had been critical of the Umno president, Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno supreme council has imposed a six-year suspension on former party strongman Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Alor Setar division chief Yusof Ismail and dismissed the former secretary of Bandar Tun Razak Umno, Zaharin Mohd Yasin. These harsh measures were taken to ensure that no other leader would dare to go public with dissenting views critical of the party president.
With this six-year suspension, Tajuddin’s political career has been killed off effectively. He is 74 years old, and when his suspension is lifted in six years’ time, he will be 80 – a time when other younger leaders will have replaced him.
- Sign up for Aliran's free daily email updates or weekly newsletters or both
- Make a one-off donation to Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara, CIMB a/c 8004240948
- Make a pledge or schedule an auto donation to Aliran every month or every quarter
- Become an Aliran member
Leaders and aspiring candidates in the coming general election will have to button up – otherwise they will not be fielded as candidates in the next election. This is one effective way to shut up critics and kill dissenting voices in Umno.
What does this reveal about Umno?
Umno will not brook any opposition within the party that espouses alternative views for the betterment of the country. All that the present leadership is interested in is to capture power and rule Malaysia forever! Anyone or anything in the way will be crushed ruthlessly and put away for good.
Umno is selfish and self-serving in pushing for the general election to be held this year – which will coincide with the monsoon rains, putting the lives of voters at grave risk.
In pursuit of Umno’s triumphalism or its belief that its system is superior and should triumph over others – is it fair to voters?
Is Umno’s triumphalism conducive to the spirit of democracy? Do we encourage greater participation in the democratic process or deliberately diminish the opportunity for maximum participation in the democratic process?
Is Umno’s fate more important than the safety of Malaysians? This is the question that is bucking discerning Malaysians who are worried that Umno’s attempt to force an early election will disfranchise many voters, which is most unfair.
Is Umno’s fortune more compelling than upholding democratic traditions in holding an election that which will provide maximum space and scope for voters to partake in electing a new government? Isn’t it the right of all Malaysians to exercise their democratic right to choose the government of their liking?
Shouldn’t Umno be concerned about the welfare of the voters and the wellbeing of the nation? When Umno doesn’t show any such abiding concern for what is right, it forfeits our support. It doesn’t deserve our votes.
Why push for an early election during the monsoon season?
Umno leaders’ strategy is simple. Flooding means a poor voter turnout. A poor voter turnout means an advantage for Umno. They saw this working in Johor when the voter turnout was low and Umno secured only 43% of the votes – but still sailed in to form the government.
They hope that this will be repeated to their advantage. They hope to capture power using the suffering of the people in the rainy season to return to power. But do they need to make Malaysians suffer in order to form the government?
Umno is desperate to rescue those facing criminal charges and those who have been convicted. It is only when they are in power that things can be reversed to their benefit. Will Malaysians allow this?
We noticed how Apandi Ali, the former attorney general, exonerated Najib Razak of any wrongdoing in the 1MDB case. Despite the mountainous and compelling evidence, Najib was cleared.
We witnessed how his successor, Tommy Thomas, brought charges against Najib that secured his conviction through the court process.
The same court process convicted Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, of corruption.
If it was not for the change of government in 2018, this would not have happened.
Malaysians must ensure the return of the Pakatan Harapan government in the coming general election so that the criminals will not be thrown a safety net to go free. This is our responsibility and duty as patriotic Malaysians.
Hopefully, Umno will remember the saying by former British Prime Minister William E Gladstone: “Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race.”
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Ismail Sabri is worried that if he does not obey the umno president, he might be sacked from this corrupted party.
Then Ismail Sabri might have to stand in the 15 GE as a private candidate, with a cake of soap as his logo
Worldwide politicians interest may be perceived to always override public/country interest.
Since when do most politicians worldwide think about people and country when the main objective of most politicians may be perceived to be to get power by any means [including money-race-religion and FRAUD-CORRUPTION-EMBEZZLEMENT-BRIBERY-KICKBACKS] so that they and their families/friends/financiers can live lives of luxury at expense of taxpayers?
So why should this be any different especially when elections are being called prematurely as perceived that now is the time when can win and all parties are having negotiations on how to get the most number of political posts especially those which provide maximum opportunities.
Bless all
Take care of your own home first, Malaysia, where u can do something with your VOTE. That should be what matters most and your Focus.
Time the Malays should wake up and not support UMNO leaders.They are only concerned with their position, power and ability to masok. Very soon our country will be bankrupt, and very soon no longer one of the “tigers” in South East Asia.
Looking back, didn’t the Muhyiddin-led government supported by Umno wrest
the helm in Sabah from Warisan by holding the intervening state election and
thereby caused the preventable spread of Covid-19 nationally when the campaign
workers returned to West Malaysia? If so, up till now, no apologies have surfaced.