UMNO Baru. Melayu Baru?

I had hope that with political power the Malays, together with their Sultans, would bestow upon our nation all that its people could have hoped and aspired for – a just, compassionate and caring society. For are we Malays not known for our gentle demeanour? Are not the Malays respectful of others and all too often conduct themselves to the point of being subservient to others when in fact it is in their psyche to put the needs of others before their own? If there ever were to be a Mandela amongst our people, I will have no doubt that it would be a Malay. The Malay embody most of what is good in life – never one to impose their will upon others and always conducting themself in a manner that can only be in harmony with others and mindful of not intruding into the affairs of those around them. So wither has UMNO gone?

Is not UMNO a Malay party? Why is UMNO arrogant and despicable in its conduct? Where has the Malay trait of being respectful of the rights of others who lived amongst us vanished to within UMNO? What need is there for UMNO to conduct themselves in a manner so unbecoming of a Malay? The disregard for Family Values, the overt display of power and ostentatious wealth that has required for those within UMNO to indulge in the unmitigated worship of all thing material that is so alien to the Malays race – what one would call greed.  This seems to be the overpowering sensibility that drives all the things that UMNO do! Where has the Malay in UMNO gone to?

Family values. This week we witness the spectacle of Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, a Datuk Seri and a Minister, no less, who absolved himself of any responsibility for the action of his own son Mohamad Nedim.

(Malaysian Digest) - “I cannot be responsible for his actions. It has nothing to do with me,” said de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in response to allegations linking his son Mohamad Nedim to an assault case last week.

The Malaysian Insider reported that Nazri has refused to respond to the allegations against his son, saying the latter is an adult and could handle his own affairs.

“It (the incident involving Mohamad Nedim) has nothing to do with me,” Nazri told the news portal when approached in Parliament yesterday.

Police report or no police report a Malay father would feel not only a responsibility for the doings of his own children no matter what the age, but more then that he would not have hesitated to take responsibility for not having brought up his children to become a responsible and god fearing adult. This Datuk Seri chooses to do otherwise. That he did not take responsibility for his ‘adult’ son’s behaviour only serves to do UMNO no good. Surely his son’s conduct is not that of an adult who is able to handle his own affairs? In our eyes this Datuk Seri does bear some responsibility. If his own parents were unable to impart that knowledge to him while he was growing up and if he does not understand that it takes a whole kampong to make a child into a responsible adult – then we will have to tell him. We are our brother keeper – what more our son! But then this is acceptable behaviour within UMNO! So what does that say about UMNO?

If the pursuit of power and money has taken the Malay out of UMNO then were not Tunku, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn Malays who made us Malays proud that they were Malays? But they say that with UMNO Baru came Melayu Baru! If the Melayu Baru is exemplified by this Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, by that Raba Raba JJ, by Rahim Thamby Chik, by Khir Toyo, by that Keris Waving Hishmuddin, by Mahathir, by the pompous Muhyiddin and by Datk Seri Najib…then spare me the Melayu Baru!

I have no doubt that within UMNO there are many Malays that resent the direction UMNO has taken in their rush to greatness. But what is great about Khir Toyo - an UMNO Menteri Besar who was convicted of corruption? What is great about Sharizat  - an UMNO Minister  - who must surely share responsibility with her husband for the abuse of the Rakyat’s money in the NFC debacle? And what is great about an UMNO that no longer is able to provide the moral and ethical leadership required of it by the Malays?

Or maybe UMNO no longer considers morals and ethics relevant in its headlong rush to retain political power? I would caution restraint and would advise more thought be directed towards rethinking the need to regain the high ground of moral and ethical responsibility if UMNO is to gain back its lost position as a party representative of the Malays. If anything UMNO needs to do this if it seeks to secure the critical mass within the Malays to vote it into power again. Only by returning the Malay into UMNO can UMNO have any hope of surviving the political tsunami that hit it in 2008 at the 12th general elections. 

For UMNO to do so before the 13th General Election is almost asking for the impossible. At best UMNO can hope for a hung Parliament and then go on to form government after ‘deals’ are negotiated with the East Malaysian. At worst UMNO will face defeat. In the process of facing defeat UMNO will decide whether to give up government with grace or stay at all costs. The Malays are graceful in defeat but then we all know that the Malay has been taken out of UMNO many years ago!

The possibilities are endless but the future of UMNO to be relevant to the times we now live in will depend on the Malay being put back into UMNO. We wait to see if this is what UMNO will do in order to live and fight another day or shall we see UMNO Baru and the Melayu Baru they spawned go down the road of political oblivion? Only time will tell.