Wednesday 8 April 2009

Mahathirism: The Cause for UMNO/BN's Fall from Grace with the Rakyat

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Excerpts:

If ever BN had the interest of the PEOPLE as their first and only port of call, that ceased a long time ago after DR. MAHATHIR took the helm.

The rot set in SWIFTLY thereafter.

Dr M’s close brush with defeat in the 1986 UMNO elections brought out the worst in him. It was that side of him that stayed with us for the rest of his tenure. His "retain power at all costs" philosophy cost us dearly.

Henceforth, to avoid another challenge to his authority, he promoted to high office those who were seen to be subservient and docile. And more often than not, incompetent.

His own belated admission about his mistake in appointing Pak Lah as his successor bears testimony to this.

He crippled the judiciary, then appointed to high judicial office men and women who were pliant.

And in his time, he encouraged a culture that would create a pool of super-rich Malays, whose wealth was not generated from honest, hard work, but by the shuffling of papers and paper transactions.

The "get-rich-quick Malay", the "I want money for nothing" generation of Malays owes its birth and growth to Dr Mahathir.

Dr M allowed corruption to flourish.Both in UMNO and the government.This was his most powerful control tool.

This is Mahathirism.

And the current crop of UMNO and BN leaders have had Mahathirism for too long flowing through their veins to begin any process of internal reform necessary to render BN relevant to the needs and aspirations of the people.

Can BN reform? Yes, but only if UMNO first reforms.

Can UMNO reform? If UMNO and BN are to reform, the Najibs, the Samys, the Ongs and the Ksu Khoons must be driven from the seat of party power.

That reform can only happen if, from the rank and file of these parties emerge a new generation, untainted by the corruption of the echelon and mid-level leadership and who are in politics not to serve their own ends but the best interest of the rakyat, and have the gumption to challenge the status quo.

Sadly, there does not appear to be such quality within the rank and file of UMNO.
-Haris Ibrahim

1 comment:

genesispassion said...

umno seemed to be fighting all corners the mca gerakan as usual are real chinese true to it nature, sit tight play safe .5000 yrs of history havent the umno learn that? when things go wrong they sit n wait..when thing goes bad..they be negiotating this and that.when things go right, they be the 1st at yr party ..common on wake up ,,know yr friends,wake up .this is best time for the p m to kick some ass...put the mca n gerakan in their right place.deliver or u be downsized. for m i c , ppp ? they are good for filling up the hall.sit behind not even in the middle