History Shows UMNO's Racial Bigotry To Remain in Power at All Costs

Read here full article in Malaysiakini

Quote:

"...It is crucially pivotal to realise that this 'Malay overlordship'(read here for more and HERE) has almost NOTHING to do with the MALAYS, and EVERYTHING to do with UMNO.

Umno clearly has NO respect for other ethnic groups. Umno clearly has NO respect for other religions .Umno clearly has NO respect for women. Umno clearly has NO respect for peace or the most noble Malay precepts of sopan-santun and budi bahasa .

The question then becomes: why prop up and be led by supremacist, uncouth bigotry, when you can help lead a bravely multi-ethnic movement committed to equal justice and development for all?

One simple X in the right box is all it takes to give Malaysia new life. Not a million, not a thousand - just one.

That X belongs to you, and to no one else."

Excerpts: Read here for more

".... re-examine Umno and ethnic politics in the country we love so much - May 13th, and Umno's anniversary.

UMNO's Dirty Role in May 13

The clearest lesson taught by Dr Kua Kia Soong's ground-breaking analysis of the 1969 riots as well as countless examples of violent ethnic conflict in Africa and elsewhere is simple:

'..that ethnic tensions are almost invariably a function of politics, NOT the other way around.'

.May 13 has been used ad nauseam to suggest that only the BN mould of politics is viable for Malaysia - where ethnic groups are so divided that they must forever be separated politically.

Kua's findings clearly provide context and proof that it wasn't inherent 'racial hatreds' that sparked off the riots, but Umno's quest for political dominance at any cost - completely debunking the myth that primordial ethnic divisions necessitate a body politic divided along those same lines.

'Political dominance at any cost' perfectly encapsulates the mindset that has reigned supreme in Umno from May 13, 1969, to Ijok 2007.

From 1969 onwards, Umno has used the riots to justify supremacist Malay overlordship instead of just and equitable Malay-led governance.

It is crucially pivotal to realise that this 'Malay overlordship' has almost nothing to do with the Malays, and everything to do with Umno.

Our first-past-the-post (and ridiculously corrupt) electoral system allows almost no recognition whatsoever to the massive numbers of voters - both Malay and non-Malay - who have rejected Umno's bankrupt brand of politics wholesale.

Since massive numbers of people, both within BN and without, clearly and passionately object to the awful excesses of Umno, a closer look at what keeps Umno in power needs to be taken.

Umno bigotry

The 'core' of BN is said to be the concept of 'power-sharing'.

.... (But) sharing the occasional parliamentary or state assembly seat is NOT the same as sharing power. .... the non-Umno BN component parties have been reduced to nothing but office boys or budak suruhan.

Voting patterns confirmed this perception both in Ijok, and to a different extent, in Machap.

....(BN) component party representatives are made to shut up and suck it up in the face of blatant bigotry, intolerance and gangsterism.

Umno clearly has no respect for other ethnic groups: not content with being racist at home, a politician chosen to be a minister no less, Jamaluddin Jarjis, went all the way to California to make derogatory and demeaning statements about Indian Malaysians.

Umno clearly has no respect for other religions: even a simple, civilised dialogue between religious group is cancelled (whether it was merely 'postponed' remains to be seen).

Umno clearly has no respect for women: just when you thought MPs Mohd Said Yusof and Bung Mokhtar Radin couldn't possibly be any more bigoted, they resorted to insulting remarks about menstruation in a feeble and humiliating attempt to deflect attention from how corruption is causing leakages in more than one way throughout the 'hallowed' halls of government.

Umno clearly has no respect for peace or the most noble Malay precepts of sopan-santun and budi bahasa: everyone saw the pictures of Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin trying to find the best balance between an ape and a hooligan in Ijok, while his underlings beat 16 stitches into opposition supporters' heads.

All these very recent events are in keeping with the 'finest' traditions of Umno - dating back from the manipulations of Harun Idris and Abdul Razak Hussein in 1969, through to keris-waving by both Najib Abdul Razak in 1987 and Hishammuddin Hussein in 2006 as well as statements from Khairy in Jeram about Chinese vultures waiting to take advantage of Malay weakness and so on.

The Cowardice of UMNO's Partners in Barisan Nasional

The simple question is: where are the rest of the BN MPs in these debacles? The even simpler answer is: silent.

It is probably inaccurate to conclude from this that BN MPs are universally inept, cowardly or clueless.

(Let's)analyse the systemic constraints under which they operate.:

The better representatives go into politics to make a difference in people's lives. (So) they join the establishment - an establishment that has frightened generation after generation into believing that they must cower before big brother Umno and never offend them at any cost.

.....however, many of these better politicians and representatives yearn day and night for an end to the Umno regime.

The question then becomes: why prop up and be led by supremacist, uncouth bigotry, when you can help lead a bravely multi-ethnic movement committed to equal justice and development for all?

To the opposition hard-core, this question tends to inspire a need to hit one's head against the wall in frustration. .... some of the clearest obstacles involve incumbency and credibility.

The Opposition has difficulty focusing on marketing itself as credible alternatives to the government.

(But) in the last few decades , the ever-growing stable of high profile, highly educated and extremely accomplished individuals and technocrats in the opposition are fast communicating to Malaysia that they are more than capable of being entrusted with the reins of government.

All that remains then is breaking the mental barriers of incumbency.

Many voters understandably have a sentimental connection to MCA, MIC, Gerakan or their particular elected representatives from those parties, and may NOT be terribly keen to vote them out of power - however much this comes into conflict with how much they despise Umno.

The longer view of politics will reveal our leaders will always consist of the likes of Mohd Said and Bung Mokhtar unless Umno is dethroned.

I trust that any truly well-meaning component party member or politician will not seriously try to defend an Umno dominated system over one led by proponents of progress without any stain of discrimination - it would very simply be attempting to defend the indefensible.

Voters have the only power that really matters, and they know it.

BN propaganda over the years has tried time and time again to fool those voters into believing that one vote doesn't really count, and that they're the only winning horse to bet on.

One simple X in the right box is all it takes to give Malaysia new life. Not a million, not a thousand - just one. That X belongs to you, and to no one else.

COMMENTARY:

By Sri Arjuna Dewata: Read here for more

"....The May 13,1969 incident and the massacre of the innocents in Kuala Lumpur was precipitated by two main personalities (in UMNO).

One was a very ambitious and flamboyant minister who thought that everybody else was far below him in terms of knowledge and stature (internationally and domestically).

Whilst the other senior member was undergoing a major test of his continued credibility following a major scandal with a leading film star.

The Tunku was still gloating around, enjoying the good life and his undisputed popularity with all the Malaysian races.

The two men - in a hurry to grab the reins of power - were joined by others hopefuls like the charismatic Harun Idris. Many were cajoled and driven by promises and their racial sentiments.
The incident amply demonstrated to us that Umno subscribed to a political doctrine that when their own house was in trouble or when their credibility is threatened, they would not hesitate to resort to cruel and draconian tactics to create bigger problems as a distraction and to re-establish their grip on the people and the country.

In the past, this had taken the form of the May the 13 riots and the use of the Internal Security Acts (very frequently used by ‘King Ghaz’ [Ghazalie Shafie] and Dr Mahathir Mohamad).

The recent waving of an unsheathed keris at the last Umno general assembly was a stern reminder of this. To be fair to them, sometimes they also apply the same doctrine on each other as they scramble for power within Umno."