najib razak : Siapa kata umno tak kuat? Di kampong, di pinngir bandar, kawasan perumahan....tiga juta....walau runtuhnya langit ka bumi...kita pertahankan sampai.... darah terakhir.

Is there anything that those in umno care for other than the two questions that is being asked by anyone and every one in umno today? 

• What is in it for me?
• Ada project?

If leadership is by example, then about the only thing that the grassroots have learnt from the higher echelons of umno - from Putrajaya and Seri Perdana - is greed. Greed as depicted by the above video of what the akar umbi / grassroots of umno were indulging in (grabbing for themselves what ever they can from the dedak placed there for the takings to entice them to attend the 71st year celebrations...albeit of the cheaper baser quality) to what  kak rosmah takes for herself - RM 153,000 Franck Muller Watches, RM820,000 handbags for an old bag etc etc.

In these images can be seen the tragedy of the Malays and of umno - and these two are mentioned in the same breath for they are entwined dulu, kini .....but I fervently  hope, not for selamanya.

The ignorance of the grassroots Malays and the Malays who lead them is stunning in not only from what one can discern superficially : and that is, among other things, we humans are by nature self centred and can thus understand why umno leaders and umno grassroots  take care of themselves first before others.....but what is breathtakingly stunning is in the manner they go about satisfying that greed....doing it in the name of government, in the name of the Malays, for Islam.....and for good measure...for the benefit of all Malaysians. 

And yet, these sort of things, after seven decades of umno domination in government, should no longer surprise us because we know that umno is greed, umno is deceit umno is dishonour. In the hands of umno leaders lies the fate of our nation, the fate of the Malays and the fate of all Malaysians....and these umno leaders have failed us....not only has umno failed to make the wife of the prime minister behave in a decent and gracious manner...but more worrying for the Malays, umno has led too many Malays astray. 

Umno believes that without umno the sun will not shine. Without umno ALLAH will not bestow his blessings upon the Muslims in Malaysia. Without umno the Malays will not have food on the table to feed their family and a roof over their head to shelter them. 

Are umno delusional or simply stunning stupid? Umno is burdened not only with the afflictions we all have – laziness, greed and wrath but also lust, gluttony, envy and misplaced pride – and also with all the seven deadly sins God bestowed on us. Sloth, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony and pride...all umno has!

I remember a question I asked of a friend, Zulkifli Sulong, about a decade ago about what it would take for our politicians to understand accountability and their responsibility of office as the elected official of the people they represent. I asked him why are so many of them are corrupt? Why does greed overcome all other considerations once they have political power? 

We were then having lunch in a crowded Malay restaurant beside Hospital Takaful in Jalan Pahang when Zul was still with Harakah. I remembered his answer well and I listened well because this friend of mine has already been arrested under the ISA and knew too well what politics in Malaysia entails. He said "Seein.....susah nak tukar!". 

"Susah nak tukar"....it has taken me almost four decades of living in Australia to understand that! Forty years to understand that what is important to the Malays living in Malaysia is no longer important to me.

Being able to park where ever I like for Friday prayers is no longer important to me. Whether I eat or do not eat during the month of Ramadan and where I eat or do not eat during that month no longer matters. I do not care what the TV, the radio or the Media print anymore - there are enough decent programs on Australian TV  and media for me to watch and read to my heart content. I no longer have to stop for any motorcade with any VIP, VVIP, the PM or his wife, Sultans or Governors. I no longer have to kautim a selesai with any policemen. I no longer have to go to immigration to renew my wife's or children visas periodically to allow them to stay in Malaysia.  I love going to BSC but hate all those show offs flaunting their cars, handbags and what have you ....and there are plenty of them at BSC....today these are no longer concerns of mine. I no longer have to think about going to Putrajaya - first the long drive, the difficult of finding parking for my car...and the long wait to see civil servants who are rude and arrogant - no longer a problem for me. I no longer have to go to JPJ and endure the long wait to have things done.....or pay someone to do it for me. I did not know that yesterday was May 13th - for that date no longer matters to me - though what happened on May 13th many years ago, still lingers in my mind.  I have not seen a toll booth for a very long time......and most refreshing of all...I no longer care too much about the car I drive, about the clothes I wear, about the place I live in and about the friends I have or do not have....and these are but just a few of the things that are no longer important to me. 

And because they are no longer important to me it is no longer "susah nak tukar" for me! I do not know what it will take for the Malays to "tukar" but you and I know that it will not happen under umno's watch. I doubt if that will happen even under an opposition government if Mahathir or Anwar are its leaders because these two are also part of the problem that we Malaysians are now in....now whether they can be part of the solution is moot...only time will tell....but in a storm...any port will do. So we are thankful that Mahathir and Anwar will be that port for us.

For now, it is enough that Tun Dr Mahathir has already committed what is left of his illustrious life to "tukar" what he himself can be faulted for allowing to happen under his watch. It is enough that Anwar Ibrahim, even from within Sungai Buloh, is doing the same given that he himself can arguably be faulted for the problems of an umno gone rogue. What is left to be done in the period between now and PRU 14 is to ensure that enough Malays will "tukar" so that we are rid of umno and najib razak and with it, we hope, we will then  have a responsible government by the people, for the people and of the people.