ANYTHING BUT UMNO

Aisehman...this morning I went grocery shopping..came out of the supermarket...and saw this number plate!!! How not to share with you guys. 

ANYTHING BUT UMNO!

REPRISE : HIDUP DAP! HIDUP DAP! HIDUP DAP! ALLAHUAKBAR! ALLAHUAKBAR! ALLAHUAKBAR!

Let us remind ourselves what happened here....a reflection of what is now happening today in Umno!

Harris Ibrahim : A tsunami of voters who opted for change, so huge, that it was able to offset the cheating. That was also what happened in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah in 2008.

With thanks to Harris Ibrahim....Food for thought!

The People's Parliament

 

We are here, not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers – Emmeline Pankhurst

Who won Selangor in 2008? And how?

Posted on May 15, 2016

 

Heck, throw in the whole lot.

Perak, Penang and Kedah, too.

Who won, and how?

We know UMNO/BN did not.

Pakatan Rakyat?

They weren’t even a formal election pact then.

So who?

In January, 2009, I was in Kuala Terengganu for the bye-election.

BN had won the seat in the 12th GE.

As the group of bloggers and activists went on our ‘VOTE OUT BN’ walkabouts, especially in the Chinese areas, we heard the same thing again and again : if the people of Terengganu had known of the tsunami that was going to hit Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah in the 12th GE, they would have joined the tidal wave and denied BN Terengganu.

There you have it.

It was the huge number of voters in those 4 states who voted for change that won.

Sure, by default, DAP, PKR and PAS formed the government in those states.

By default.

Not because we loved the opposition or had full faith in them, but because the “Anything But BN” mood was so strong that  we were determined to vote in anybody in their place.

I voted in PJ Selatan. Even as I asked “Who’s Hee?”, I voted for Hee Loy Sian.

Loh Gwo Burne was an eleventh hour Keadilan candidate for Kelana Jaya. The man behind the VK Lingam “Korek Korek Korek” video camera. He won? Why?

The overwhelming “Anything But BN” tsunami that swept through Kelana Jaya and every other seat, state and federal, in the 4 states won the day.

See it this way.

On polling day, 2 groups of voters vie for the spoils.

Those for change, and those who wish to maintain the status quo.

Those who want a new government, and those who want to retain BN.

In those 4 states, those who wanted to see change were victorious.

How?

First, understand this.

Cheating by UMNO/BN at the GE and state elections is nothing new. It has been going on for a long time.

In 1990, I was part of a team of lawyers who volunteered to patrol the polling stations in Kota Baru and report back on any cheating we saw. And boy, did we see a lot. By the way, notwithstanding the wholesale cheating, my late sis-in-law, Ilani Isahak, standing on a Semangat 46 ticket, trounced Tengku Ahmad Rithauddin in Kota Baru.

How?

A tsunami of voters who opted for change, so huge, that it was able to offset the cheating.

That was also what happened in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah in 2008.

In all 4 states, the tidal wave for change was so huge, it was able to neutralise the cheating.

What of the other states?

Remember the feedback we got in Kuala Terengganu in January, 2009.

Information that had so angered voters in the 4 states enough to make them resolve to get rid of UMNO/BN had not reached the other states.

The fact of the tsunami reaching unstoppable proportions had not reached the other states.

In short, the media war to rid ourselves of UMNO/BN had been effective in those 4 states but had failed in the others.

In  Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah, the good people had risen and were heard.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this, before we look ahead to removing UMNO/BN.

Yes, I remain hopeful that we can still ABU this nation.

After ABU what is next for PR?

I think the time has come for us to look at where Pakatan Rakyat is heading. But before anyone starts plunging their knives into my back for being a turncoat or even worse, a traitor to the cause of ABU, I want to state categorically and without any reservations whatsoever that I am for CHANGE! But I am not for NEGATIVITY!

It is time we stop asking people to CHANGE for the sake of changing. ANYTHING BUT ABU is a fantastic and all encompassing slogan that succinctly tells us what we all want. But it has become the excuse that too many people are using to not vote UMNO and Barisan Nasional. The focus seems to shift to UMNO and BN and why we should not vote UMNO and BN – the corruption, the plundering and pillaging of our nations coffers, the arrogance, the abuse of executive powers by those holding high public office – all valid reasons for not allowing them to hold government any longer. In emphasizing these failings by UMNO and BN the focus shifts away from Pakatan Rakyat. Away from whether Pakatan Rakyat is ready for government. Away from whether the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat are ready to lead this nation of ours. Away from what we are letting ourself in for when we have a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya.

I am sure this is not a deliberate ploy by Pakatan Rakyat to prevent us from scrutinizing their readiness to be in government but nevertheless it is negative politics. Why not Pakatan Rakyat now tells us why we should vote them into government? I am sure it is just not because the price of petrol and essentials food items will be fair. Nor should it only be because they have promised us open, accountable and responsible government. I want to know how they intend to achieve these promises. I want to know who amongst the Pakatan Rakyat leaders will be Ministers? Who will be Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister? What will be the criteria for these appointments? We want only the best to be in government. We want Pakatan Rakyat to now give us good reasons to choose ANYTHING BUT UMNO! Why we should choose PKR, DAP and PAS instead of UMNO. We all want ABU, we all want change. Now Pakatan Rakyat must tell us that they are the one we want to be in government instead of UMNO and BN because…………………………….(please Pakatan Rakyat, please fill in the blanks!)

All of us have been very vocal in saying ABU, ABU and ABU over and over again. Can Pakatan Rakyat please now step on to the podium and tell us all why they are the one we want! Pakatan Rakyat must now tell us that all is well within the coalition. They must tell us that PKR, PAS and DAP are ready for battle at the 13th general election and if the GODS are kind to them, Pakatan Rakyat will win government.

But today I hear too much about the problems within PR that threatens this coalition. Too much talk about PKR being the problem child within PR. Too much talk about whether Kit Siang and Hadi will accept DSAI as the designated leader and probable Prime Minister of our nation should PR win the 13th general elections. Too much questions being asked about so many things happening within PR. Why is Zaid Ibrahim contesting against PAS in Kota Baru when he has said that he is within PR. Why can’t PAS and Zaid work things out? Why is there so much negative things being said on the Internet about the problems within PR states and with PR politicians by OUR people?  Too much loose talk about racial politics even as the potential candidates starts jockeying for position as the selection process for candidates to represent the parties within PR starts. We want PR to walk the talk NOW.

No more mindless slogan shouting of ABU! ABU! ABU! Now we want you tell us why we should vote for Pakatan Rakyat. I do not want to choose PR by default – i.e. because there is nobody else to choose if we want ABU. The same reason everybody seems to be giving for having DSAI as leader of PR and PM designate – by default – because there is no better else better. It may be that there is no body else better – but surely we do not want that! We want to choose PR and DSAI because they are the best possible choices for our people and for our country! Is that not the right thing to do?  

We want PR to be in government because they deserve to be in government. We want DSAI to be leader of the opposition and PM designate because he deserves to be so. So please PR …can you fill in the blanks NOW?     

CRIMINALITY AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT. CORRUPTION AT THE LOWEST!

In the respectful silence that surrounds those who are terminally ill, we, the living, watch as they struggle for breath with the help of an oxygen mask. For hours there has been no sign of consciousness. Death is near. While those who are about to leave us are peaceful in their last moments, we who are left behind are not. We cry. We pray. We implore heaven and earth to give us more time with our love ones. And when all else fail, we hope for one last conscious moment from the dying to tell them again of our love for them.

Those who have been at bedside vigils as their love ones leave this earthly bounds will know of these moments just before we lose them.

My Friends we are now losing our MALAYSIA! It has suffered from over fifty years of utter neglect and great abuse. It is slowly but surely slipping away from us under the burden and terminal havoc that UMNO has wreck upon it. 

Every Ministry, every government department and every agency and every government machinery and more in Malaysia, has been politicised and/or personalised.

Politicised for the vested interest of this UMNO led Barisan Nasional regime.

Personalised for the vested personal interest of those within these organizations without whose assist UMNO cannot inflict their corrupt political will upon them.
 
We have an authoritarian government that controls the army, the police, parliament, government and the elections not for the good of its people but for their hold on power.

Do we have any honest men and women left in government and in politics?

YES WE DO!

But against the onslaught of a corrupt and self centred Barisan Nasional these honest men and women can do nothing to stem the rot that permeates every nook and cranny of our nation.

ONLY WE THE PEOPLE CAN STAND IN THEIR WAY AND THAT TOO ONLY IF WE HAVE THE NUMBERS!
 
Let us look at what is happening in Malaysia today. The two most powerful forces within our country today are the Armed Forces and PDRM. The head of the Army and of PDRM is decided by the Prime Minister/UMNO with a some leeway given to the need to not totally ignore protocol when making these appointments – but ultimately these appointees are beholden to the Prime Minister for their appointments.

In PDRM, after the IGP comes the heads of Departments. Let us take the CID. We have seen the Director of CID prosecuted for corruption and his so called abuse of his executive powers while Director of CID. He was dragged through the courts on trumped up charges and in the process humiliated and lost any chances of career advancement within PDRM. We saw this good, honest and decent man make a stand against being roll over by a government gone mad! And ultimately he won but at what costs to himself and his family? A lifetime of service ignored to serve the interest of those who serve the interest of their political masters!

But decency and fairness has never been a trait of this UMNO led Barisan Nasional government! For UMNO humiliating another Malay, be it the Chief Justice, a Director of CID or even its own DPM is par for the course if it serves UMNO’s purpose!   

Further down the PDRM chain of command are those involved in operational duties -  like the riot squad. We have seen them being used time and time again to harass the Rakyat and to physically intimidate activists from NGO’s and civil liberty groups.

Those within PDRM who are the face of the POLICE – those policemen on the ground  - are either on the take or killing suspects in custody if not whqacking them close to death!

So from the IGP down to the policemen walking the streets the police force is suspect! Are they any honest policemen left in the force? Certainly they are – but as we know, it only takes one black sheep to taint the whole force. When from the IGP down the force is tainted what hope do these honest cops have? 

Take the Armed Forces. They take their orders from the government of the day and we already know whom the bloody government of the day is.

But the big money in the Army is the civilian side that manages the army and decides on its purchases from food, medical requirements, providing barracks and housing for its men and officers to the purchase and maintenance of its weapon and equipments.

Tell me, how many ex-KSU’s from MINDEF are now working with the very same companies that supplies MINDEF requirements after they retire?

How many Generals are now in business? How many Colonels and Majors are now ‘managing’ their own business supplying MINDEF requirements from Maggi Mee to Guns and Ammunitions?

If even at this lower level the ARMY compromises itself, what about the purchases of Submarines, Tanks and Aircrafts and Vehicles?

You all remember the decision made to LEASE the Army vehicle requirements –the cars used in the Army? This led to a situation where the cost to repair  these vehicles became more expensive then the costs of buying them!

I need not go into the cost of buying submarines, helicopters, aircrafts, ships, and patrol boats, tanks - every single MINDEF requirement is controlled at its source by UMNO politicians! And that is why MINDEF is haemorrhaging billions of Ringgits! And this was hine into a fine art under Najib tenure as Minister of Defense with the able assist of his FLOM (Fat Lady of Malaysia!) aka TTPLOM (The Ten Percent Lady of Malaysia!)  

When can we see PDRM and the Armed Forces able to manage themselves in a mature, responsible and non-political way and prove to the people that they have come of age? Definitely not under this Barisan Nasional government!

What is happening in PDRM and the Army is typical of the endemic corruption and abuse of executive power now running rampant within this UMNO led Barisan Nasional government – and it is so because the politics of patronage and money is the only way UMNO knows to exist.  
    
POLITICAL MATURITY NEVER CAME TO UMNO. 
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT MONEY.

The tragedy for UMNO is that it does not believe in anything other then money! Its President thinks so, its political elites thinks so and every UMNO member thinks so. The lure of money, what they can do with money and what money can do for them dominates every aspect of UMNO and occupies the thinking process from the political elites to the cawangan level in UMNO. From their PWTC that costs millions and millions to build to the lifestyle they lead, the ostentatious lifestyle of leaders past and present everything shouts MONEY! They think everything is possible with money. They know everything is possible with money. And anything that makes money is their GOD! Money is their GOD!

What would be the cost to us and to our country if this UMNO led BN government is to win government after the 13th general election? We need to look at this sensibly and understand the ramification of a BN government for another five years.

You can take any government department or any agency and I will tell you how any semblance of integrity or credibility has been compromised almost beyond our ability to comprehend because it is greed that drives what they do – not the well being of the Rakyat nor duty to King and Country.

The Fire Brigades? The most corrupt department around! I was involved in the supply of buses equipped with educational materials and equipments to be use as mobile educational centres to teach the Rakyat about how to prevent and fight fires.

The costs of these buses were ‘top up’ by at least RM$30,000 each to ‘cover’ those within the Ministry and the Department who were involved in the award of the contract. Of course those who secured the  contract were not bus manufactures neither were they the people able to equip these buses with the necessary tools. My sub, sub contract was way down the line – we only did the signage work! And I had a hell of a time getting payment from the main contractor!

I think we all know about similar situations within any government departments and agencies. As I have said at the start of this article, anything under the control of this UMNO led Barisan Nasional government has either been politicised or personalized to bleed cash!

So out with these UMNO bastards! Out with their Barisan Nasional accomplices before we run out of cash to bleed and they then want our blood and our pound of flesh!  

They might have everything in their favour – but we have the numbers! People power in Manila and Indonesia ousted Marcos and Suharto. People power brought a change in government in Thailand. Even in Burma today there is real hope for change as the people awaked from years of neglect by a government that knew no better until the plight of its people even made the Generals think again about change. Vietnam self-awareness will ensure that the people’s interest will be paramount in the things that its government does. Cambodia is still in its infancy and it would be just about where Malaysia is now in terms of where this UMNO led Barisan Nasional government has regressed to!

All that we see before us in terms of physical progress and the display of wealth and ostentatious consumption is brittle and profits a few Malaysians.

We have all witnessed the wilful destruction of lives and properties in Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta when the frustrations of the masses got the better of them. In fact we have had our baptism of fire May 13th 1969 – way before any of them!

In 1969, like today, UMNO had control of the Army, the Police, Government, Parliament and election. We now know what UMNO did in 1969 that had ramifications on our life until today.

Do not say that nothing has changed since 1969. Today UMNO does not have all the Malays on side. Today the numbers are stacked against UMNO and Barisan Nasional! Today our people want change – and those who want change numbers in the millions!

Enough millions to make the difference for ABU to be a force of change. Enough millions to make UMNO think again should they decide to take government by force! Enough millions to keep those UMNO bastards honest and accept defeat at the 13th general elections!

You are one, with me we are two!
Who else will join us?
On with ABU!

AKU BENCI UMNO!

[steadyaku47] New comment on AKU BUKAN UMNO!.

Friday, 24 February, 2012 1:11 AM

From:

"Anonymous"

To:

husseinhamid@y7mail.com

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "AKU BUKAN UMNO!":

You missed out this one sir;

"AKU BENCI UMNO!"



Posted by Anonymous to steadyaku47 at Friday, February 24, 2012 5:41:00 PM GMT+10:30




Flag this message

[steadyaku47] New comment on AKU BUKAN UMNO!.

Friday, 24 February, 2012 6:05 AM

From:

"Anonymous"

View contact details

To:

husseinhamid@y7mail.com

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "AKU BUKAN UMNO!":

Yes, make ABU an action of civil (r)evolution. Think about it: There is only a small group necessary to start the ball rolling. 

 

Saying "ABU!" to the cab driver when you leave the cab, say "Don't forget ABU!" when you pay at the cashier, and at all and any other moments. Getting off the bus to JB or Penang, remind your co-passengers: "GE13: It's ABU!" Go into the weekend, wish you colleagues a "Happy weekend! And remember ABU". Should this take off, BN would start wetting the pants. And trying to outlaw this. Reply to "1Malaysia" with "Yes, 1 Malaysia and ABU".

The last thing then would be the need to some symbol, for non-verbal communication. Someone allows you to enter the lane in front of a traffic light. Don't wave with "Thanks"; but show the symbol for ABU.



Posted by Anonymous to steadyaku47 at Friday, February 24, 2012 10:35:00 PM GMT+10:30

Cakap cakap...You, Petra, me, our country and our future.

How I wish I could sit down with you and lock horns about the things that you and I agree to disagree about over a cup of coffee…no need for Starbuck…just Nescafe on the veranda at the back of my house would do. And we will talk…….talk about Naib,Anwar, Mahathir, BN, UMNO, PR, DAP, Taib……so much to talk about and so little time! I will have my stories and you have yours….plenty to sembang about. But the tyranny of distance does not allow us these nuances that makes life more tolerable. All I can do is read what you write and hope that you will read mine and then across the thousand of miles that divides us, we throw each other our barbs and our comments!

Believe you me friends there are many stories still to be told. Enough to fill many Khairy Chronicles if Petra wants to set himself the task of doing so. But the 13th general election is almost upon us. We need to prioritise.

Not many have the courage of Petra to tell it like it is. And do not say that Petra is safe in Manchester and that is why he does what he does. He has paid his dues and more!

Me? I just started a few years back when I know I am safe and far away from the clutches of the Special Branch.

We do not write because UMNO pays us though I wish they would throw some of their millions our way. And if they do we will do what PAS told their supporters to do when UMNO throws money their way……take it and still vote for PAS…or in our case, take it but still hantam UMNO and anything else that is not right! That is why UMNO will not talk to us. They cannot trust us to do what they want us to do and neither can Pakatan Rakyat!

We write because we have a story to tell. Sometimes it is all too easy to put everything in words as the mind engages
In sync with the words flowing out of you – like the intertwining of sound and images in a film.

Most times it is a struggle. A struggle to marry thought with words. A struggle not made easier when you know that those that visit your site will judge you not on what you have written but on what comes next! But enough of me! Let us talk about us! 

How we do now live is not how we must live. We are now becoming a people increasingly polarized by what we want and what we need, by our values and all the beliefs that we hold sacred. Race, religion, decency and compassion for each other, education for our children, civil liberties and the ability to earn a living commensurate with our abilities and ambitions…. each of these are now being used as the means to further the ends of the UMNO led Barisan Nasional government. A government we detest. A government unfit to have our trust what more to govern us!

We allow UMNO to dictate the lives we now live. These politicians have told us that we cannot live as one people because how can we be one when no common ground can be found between us? We are Malays and the others are not. We are Muslims and the others are infidels. This is our country and they have come from another. 

Anything and everything that can be used to divide us is used against us by this BN government. Religious, ethnic and nationalistic are artificially created tension and used to keep us on edge. Why must we talk about religious threats to Islam from the Christians when none exists?  Why keep harping about Ketuanan Melayu when you profess 1Malaysia? 

Is this right? Where are we as a people heading? Or more to the point, where is this BN government taking us? Into the abyss of racial and religious conflicts? Or the hell fire of May 13th again? Would it not be ironic if we have a May 13th at the 13th General Election!

Are the people of our country waiting to leave the country or are they hopeful of a decent future for themselves and their children? If they are leaving who are leaving? Are they the educated and the professionals – those whom our country needs most?

Let me tell you what I know. I have met many Malaysians in Adelaide where I am now living. All non-Malays. All professionals in their own right. All with good jobs and some in business living in decent homes, driving decent cars and settling down in a foreign country. Living in Australia is no hardship for them but they would prefer to be in Malaysia. They endure Australia for they know that it would be better for their children’s future.

I also know of Malays who have left Malaysia to live elsewhere for the same reason. The first few years of living abroad is difficult and they miss family and the way of life they have been used to. But we would rather this life then the future we think Malaysia is now heading to. A future where race and religion dictates your place in society.
 
While there are many of us that have left Malaysia there are also many who chose to come to Malaysia to live. And who are these people eager to come into our country? We welcome those who want to spend their retirement in Malaysia – but they must have the means to do so. Their contribution will be their money.

And who else? The poor, the uneducated and the unskilled? Yes they come in the millions to work in our country. They fulfil our need for cheap labour but they send the money they earn back to their family back home. Billions repatriated when that money is much more needed here in Malaysia.

Then there are the pendatangs – they are given citizenship but to what end? Our BN government wants the Malay race to dominate. And these pendatangs qualify as Malays. It does not matter that their coming brings into our society all the ills and the disadvantage of having a people who have only known poverty and hardship. They come not to contribute to our development as a nation but to hinder our progress as they play catch up to the standards of living we have already achieved! What madness is it for our government to do this? Other countries encourage migration of people whose skills they lack we encourage migration based on ethnic consideration in order to boost the numerical number of those that will vote for UMNO.   
Nothing else matters but the building up of a vote bank for UMNO!

That is why our future is uncertain. Our future is bleak. At best there will be a change in government  - a government that hopefully will understand the need for good governance  -but that will not happen in the immediate future – a decade from now possibly. And even if it happens at the 13th general election, the likelihood of change happening will still take time.

For those with the means and the opportunity to leave Malaysia to build a life abroad –they will take that chance and leave. It is just not worth the wait to see if change will happen in Malaysia with or without a change in government. That is the nature of we humans. If need be we are prepared to face daunting odds and challenges to survive but there must be end in sight to what we can put up with the present hardships. For many they would rather migrate to a foreign country, put up with the change in lifestyle, put up with the cold in as long as we know that the future for their children will be better. Better then one in Malaysia!

When will the Malaysian government understand this? That most of us that leave Malaysia to live elsewhere are decent, hard working people who just want to live a decent life?  We want to live under a government that will allow us to do just that.

And once settled we know that our second generation will forget Malaysia. They will forget that there ever was a Malaysia in their lives and our country of choice will be our home. And hopefully our children will grow up to be better people in a better country under a better government.

There is a simple test we can use. Who are the people wanting to get into or get out of Malaysia? Those who want to get into Malaysia are the poor and the disadvantage from our neighbouring countries. Those who want to leave are the educated and those who have money seeking a better life elsewhere…what does that say about Malaysia?

Let me tell you what Malaysia is today. It is a nation where power is corruptly wielded, its people oppressed, a nation held back and it’s people aspirations for a decent future denied. Fifty-Five years of UMNO led government have done this to us. A government diseased and beyond redemption waiting out its last hours of life.

No more…no more.

Anything but UMNO. Asalkan Bukan UMNO. 

ABU!

AKU BUKAN UMNO!

Today if you are against corruption and the divisive policies that UMNO promotes to ensure that their hold on power continues unabated after 53 years what do you say?

When a Malay is embarrassed and shamed by the use of Ketuanan Melayu to enrich UMNO leaders and their cronies what can he say?

If a non-Malay have had enough of being kicked around and treated as a non-entity and second class citizen in a country they call home what do they say?

And when you come across the abuse of executive powers by those in high public as evidenced in the many Government contracts and tenders awarded on the basis of who you know rather than what you know, in PKFZ, in NFC, the award of KIDEX to Tun Zaki and the imminent IPO of Felda Global – what do you say?  

You can say ABUI!
All these abuses and duplicity by UMNO, by UMNO’s coalition partners in Barisan Nasional and by UMNO leaders in the state they control and in the Federal Government can be sum up in one word, ABU!

The advent of ABU has coalesce the critical mass into the realization that we are really one people living tenaciously in a society whose own government has threaten us with dire predictions of racial and religious Armageddon for as long as we can remember! We are living on the very edge of this threat and many times we are the victims of it, and yet somehow we have overcome being totally overwhelmed by it only through the goodwill and respect that we have for each other. We are certain that we no longer want this threat to be used time and time again by this government as their excuse to have their way with us.  

As their excuse to plunder and pillage our country for their own vested interest. As their excuse to stay in power! We want to rid ourselves of this government that has been the cause of this curse. ABU shall be the catalyst for this change.

In this one word : ABU : lies our hopes and aspirations for what we want of our future. Today it has become the word that we greet each other when we want to convey to the other our solidarity under one movement.  ABU! -  That thumbs-up and that determined smile tell the other that we are together in this move to oust UMNO. You and me against UMNO!

In my memory there have not been many movements in our nation that have been able to capture the mood and the imagination of our people of the people with just one word. MERDEKA and REFORMASI comes to mind. HARTAL maybe it but HARTAL is too confrontational and it is a passive movement….a boycott of things we are against.

ABU is pro active, not static. It is alive and well and keeps growing by the day! Any RAKAYT fed up with this corrupt, arrogant and abusive UMNO is with ABU.

Today we all have ABU. UMNO has Ketuanan Melayu. What a difference! ABU belongs to all Malaysians. Ketuanan Melayu only to UMNO. ABU tells us of everything that is wrong with our country. And UMNO is the cause of it.     
 
The tragedy and curse for the Malays is also the tragedy and curse for all other Malaysian. It is simply this: For 55 years we have had the same political masters: UMNO. All that we are and are not today can be directly attributed to UMNO – the good and the bad. And if we are honest to ourselves the bad by far out number the good.

In the multi ethnic and multi religious society that we live in we need to start first with religion and race. Any responsible government would use this diversity as strength to pull the people together and ensure that we understand and celebrate each other’s differences. Instead race and religion is deliberately and irresponsibly used by UMNO to divide and rule the people for their purpose of retaining power and government. And this power is used for the acquisition of material wealth through any means possible.

This started in earnest with the coming of Mahathir. I said in earnest because what we have in Mahathir is an evil genius personified. He made the getting, the holding on to power and the use of that power as the be all and the end all of everything that he did in government. And he succeeded in doing all that and more! Suffice to say that the two UMNO Prime Minister that followed Mahathir were the inheritors and keepers of the corrupt and abusive government that Mahathir perfected to the detriment of our nation, our people and our future.

The good that UMNO does is purely physical. And the gain is more to those within UMNO who profited in the construction of these monuments to UMNO’s abusive management of our country’s resources.

Massive highways that straddles the North, South, East and West of our country. Putrajaya, KLIA, KLCC…all massive physical monument to waste and corruption.

We now have many people hoarding great wealth stolen from the people through their collusion with UMNO. And the greatest blight burdened upon our people is the culture of materialism that now permeates every aspect of government, society and the life of our people. And the damage this has done to our people, past, present and certainly the future will be with us for a long time to come.

From Mahathir onwards all our Prime Minister and their family have unashamedly profited…no I think the right word should be stolen billions of Ringgits of the people’s money for their own keeping.

This culture of materialism is repeated eagerly in various permutations from the Prime Minister down to the lowest ranking government official and political appointee that we can find. All this is done at will and with the tacit if not active collusion by UMNO. It ranges from the RM$5 you fork out to the office boy to the RM500 million given to Razak Baginda by Najib for ‘services rendered’!

NFC, the latest exposure of our ex CJ’s  Tun Zaki Tun Azmi foray into the ‘business world’ are merely manifestations of this disease that UMNO has within itself call materialism or kebendaan - and all those that it touches will be terminally affected by it. And this disease if not eradicated from our midst will destroy us all by the rapidity of its spread amongst those who are susceptible to the promise of easy money and an even easier life – something we are all partial to! The very people who are now agitating for the eradication of corruption in UMNO can easily succumb to the promise of great wealth if that promise comes his or her way. It cuts both ways.

In this orgy of deviousness and duplicity that we see before us anyone will have difficulty in sorting out the facts from fiction. The lies from the truth. The right from wrong. The good from the bad. But even in these situations there are events that defy belief simply because there is no other possible explanation except that what was done is wrong! 

The death of Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan, Aminurasyid, Sarbaini and all those deaths while in PDRM’s custody  - all these are unnecessary deaths!

Any other death that we feel has been unnecessary and can be attributed directly to the actions of UMNO or its affiliates falls into this category – ranging from Memali to the recent death of that cameraman in Sudan! There is nothing this UMNO led BN government can say or do that can mitigate their ultimate responsibility as all these deaths happened under their watch. Each one of these deaths is a national tragedy that questions our ability to continue to have faith and belief in the decency of our own government. Life is intangible and yet the consequence for UMNO of these intangibles will be counted in lost votes and lost opportunities for UMNO to do good.

We know the consequences of greed. From the backhand to the Policeman to the ‘donations’ made to UMNO - we see evidence of money politics and human failings that combines into a lethal cocktail that seeks to destroy even as it quenches the thirst of the drinker!

So what have we all become now? Each one of us is the recipient of a vast reservoir of information and knowledge of wrong doings by our political leaders that seeks an outlet to express itself. Most of us have already processed this information and need no other inputs save further confirmation of our thoughts on the unsuitability of the present UMNO leaders to govern.

Now we want change.

And nothing focuses our mind to change then the thought of a coming general election. We think that what we do will make a difference to the outcome of the election….and of course it will if there are enough of us that think the same way. Hence ABU!

And that is why ABU has caught the imagination of the people of our nation.

Altantuya? That is why we want ABU.

NFC? Another reason for ABU.

KIDEX – ABU again!~

Every ill within our country that can be traced back to UMNO clarifies our need for a future with ABU! The simplicity of ABU sweeps all before it.

Now that the juggernaut that is ABU is well underway there is a need to focus it on specifics that will give direction towards where all the energy now being generated will go. ABU belongs to all of us and yet it belongs to nobody. And here lies the danger of ABU being hijacked to serve the purpose of individuals or groups. And when, rather then if that happens, then ABU will fragment and fail.

I think it is time all of us including Pakatan Rakyat, BERSIH, the family of all those murdered by this BN government ….all of us that has a stake in wanting to evoke change ……we should all work towards giving ABU a formal structure and start the advance towards Putrajaya with recognizable leaders and the right strategies to dovetail with the aspirations of all of us for change! The coming together of the forces!

How all this will happen is beyond me but it has to happen if change is to come our way. The euphoria that ABU is the way forward must be used to its advantage.

Where is ABU now and where will it be when it is time to make the intangible tangible? When votes are to be cast for Abu to whom shall it go? It is better that we ask this questions now then to carry on regardless. All other issues, all other groups, individuals or vested interests must find its place within ABU with the interest of the greater good paramount. Malaysian has not been very good when confronted with this sort of situation. They have willingly abdicated their right to good governance to UMNO for the last 55 years. Let us pray that this ABU movement will provide the impetus to finally awaken our people from this ‘tidak apa’ slumber.

Our votes will be for you if you declare that you are ABU (Aku Bukan UMNO!).

Our votes will be for you if you tell us you are ABU (Asalkan Bukan UMNO).

Our votes will go to ABU (Anything But UMNO).

Here there is clarity in what we have to do! Here there is a sense of purpose to what we must do. 

ABU ABU ABU!

Najib Zig. Anwar Zag. ABU steady aja!

Najib Zig. Anwar Zag. These two zig zag all over the political landscape of this nation. Two solitary leaders out in front without any challengers on the horizon just yet! Each carrying their excess baggage of moral and ethical issues and each waiting to be blind sided by inevitable revelations of their past life that will surely come as the 13th general election nears. And before you become too judgemental and blame them for their own misfortunes I think the laugh is on all of us! How could we allow only these two to be the multiple choice answer to the question of who should be our Perdana Menteri?


Twelve general elections and each time we return UMNO to power. Is that not stupidity in the extreme or are we just gluttons for punishment?

And at the 12th general elections we gave Anwar Ibrahim the mandate to …to do what? Declare that he will take over government in September 2008? Lose Perak? Get embroil in sodomy two? Host a party election that takes PKR to a new low – if that is at all possible!

We are all indeed in one hell of a cock up. And more worrying is what will come up next? Do we stay with UMNO in the hope that they have learned their lesson in humility and heed our demand for good governance? Or do we take a punt with Pakatan Rakyat and hope (hope as in the worst not happening rather than in the best happening) that they will deliver on their promise of open, responsible and accountable government?

Either way with UMNO or Pakatan Rakyat, I say that our future is too important to go on a hope and a prayer!

Some of you are insisting that we try Pakatan Rakyat for five years and if they are not what we want – throw them out? And who is going to do the throwing out? Have we not learned from the past that once entrenched in government, with all the machinery of government at their disposal, those in power will not go away quietly?

It took 23 years to we rid ourselves of this Mahathir and at what costs?

The very fabric of our society has now been irreversibly and adversely changed forever by the presence of millions of immigrants brought in by Mahathir and given citizenship not because our country would benefit from their skills and enterprise but because it was politically expedient for UMNO to do so.

Mahathir is responsible for the debilitating culture of materialism now forever embedded into our way of life. A culture that sucks the very life blood out of our people and destroys the very essence of doing honest work for a decent wage. A culture that breeds corruption and greed!

23 years of Mahathir has now reduced politics to nothing more than UMNO irresponsibly using the explosive mix of race and religion to divide and rule our country.

All the checks and balances inherent in government have been dismantled. And nothing personifies this travesty then Petronas. The financials of this national oil company that brings in billions of ringgits into our national coffers is privy only to the Prime Minister! This UMNO led Barisan Nasional government will not allow Christmas Carolling without a permit but it will allow one politician to decide how the billions that Petronas makes will be spent! What madness is this?

When not dismantled then these checks and balances have been badly compromised. The Police and the Judiciary now takes their cue from the BN government. All heads of government departments are beholden to UMNO for their livelihood. Education becomes an instrument of state – used at will to advance its racial, language and political agenda without due regard to the long term damage it will do to our young as they grapple with the reality of educating themselves amongst others whom have had the benefit of a more enlightened education system.

Nobody today doubts that if UMNO decides that it wants to stay in government indefinitely they have the means to do so with or without the loss of blood – theirs or ours!

What is different from the Malaysia a decade ago and the Malaysia of now is you and me.

We are so much different from the people that lived before us - in temperament, in knowledge and in our commitment to better ourselves and our fellow human beings from the tyranny of a government gone mad…and more empowering….we have the tools, the means and the will to do so. We can only hope that there are million of others who are also empowered and embolden to actively seek the change we all want.

I believe the numbers are there. From time to time we may bicker and we will agree to disagree. At times we do so robustly and at times discretely but our focus is similar. We all want a better life, a better future and a growing commitment to do this together as one people. This feeling of oneness makes me feel good. It gives me a feeling of possibilities.

I am not the only one thinking of ABU. Imagine having many thousands of us……if not millions….. willing for ABU to become our battle cry against UMNO. Imagine how many of us are right now powering our PC impatiently wanting to get onto the net and see what is the latest development on ABU? And those already on line are feverishly posting their comments, their messages to others and contributing their own two cents worth on ABU!

And this is happening in households, offices, educational establishments….anywhere you can power a PC in Malaysia. Each and every one of you is making your own contribution to ABU. This is why ABU is alive and well. It lives in each one of us that believes that UMNO must leave for our country to live! ABU snakes across our country from the North to the South, the East to the West…..and like a snake that seeks its prey…ABU seeks to destroy UMNO!

Let Najib and Anwar zig and zag anywhere they choose to go. We are resolute with ABU. Najib is a lost cause. UMNO even more so!

Anwar is still with us but we give him notice that he is under caution to behave and do good for Pakatan Rakyat and PKR. What good he has done for Pakatan Rakyat still gives him credence to lead from the front but for how long? He will have to see how it all goes on a day to day basis for we know not what will come after these allegations of corruption in Selangor and his proven inability to hold on to alliances with people who have extended more then their time and a considerable amount of their money to assist PKR – this time with John Soh.

We understand that politics is an expensive business in Malaysia requiring copious amount of financial ‘investments’ by people with vested interest in doing good for PKR, for our country or, more often then not, for themselves. We understand too that the cut and thrust of politics requires you at times to be devious and economical with the truth. And the times we now live in pits you against an UMNO that has deep pockets and large armies at its disposal to unleash against you and Pakatan Rakyat.

All this we understand and will make concessions for what you do to counter the might of an unrelenting adversary that is not beyond using any means at their disposal to annihilate its perceived enemies.

But understand this too. We are not UMNO. We are ABU and we will not want UMNO within ABU! Even if from today you commit yourself to ABU and everything that it entails, we will take you for your word. Fail us and you will only fail yourself! If PKR and you have had assist from John Soh in the past just acknowledge his help and get on with what will come tomorrow. If there is corruption in Selangor better to deal with it adequately now rather then later. We can forgive much but do not lie to us as UMNO has done because if you do …tiada maaf bagi mu!

For now all that we can do is wait for what tomorrow brings. Events and issues are being hurled at us at the speed of Najib’s motorcade as it commutes between Putrajaya and KL. As each of these potentially lethal exposures are being unveiled by Pakatan Rakyat, Barisan Nasional, Manchester, Putrajaya or on the Web, we all adjust and realign our thinking with the flow. Everyday brings manna from the heavens for some and consign others to hell and damnation!

Let all of that believes that ABU is the way to go, go with the flow too….but always remember that our commitment to Anything But UMNO is non negotiable.

And so to each and every of you that has silently or overtly committed your time, effort and even money to ABU – and you know who you are! – you can justly be proud that ABU is now a full-fledged war cry that reverberates through the corridors of power in Putrajaya and instilled with justification, the fear of God and retributions from the forces for good upon those in UMNO! These people in UMNO do not understand how this is so because they see nothing of ABU that they can deal with! And yet ABU is everywhere and anywhere! And this is the very essence why ABU will continue to be a force for change and good! Because you and me are part of it…part of something UMNO cannot understand nor will it ever do! ABU ABU ABUI!

ABU : I will listen to you. Will you listen to me?

The delightful distractions of high public office and those in government, state or federal, are the preferred options of a number of our political leaders from all political divides. Not for them the onerous burden of serving the Rakyat nor do they have the discipline to do their duty to King and country. For them the good life of wine, women and song beckons. For them high public office is the means to make the good life of wine, women and song their own. The getting of material wealth takes precedence over the getting of wisdom to serve as wakil rakyat!


And this is the life most of us do aspire to live too! Do we not? A Mansion for a house. The latest Beemer or Mercs in the garage. Shopping and holidays in Europe, London or New York. An inexhaustible supply of cash in the bank! And the delightful distractions of a La Dolce Vita life style lived away from the Rakyat and your family!

We humans find it difficult to overcome our animal instincts to be the alpha male/female. In my living memory the two Tun Ismails (DPM and Bank Negara), Tan Chee Koon, Hussein Onn and possibly one or two others – I would need no more then the fingers on my right hand – could I count those Malaysian who have been able to overcome these instincts. Today…..none! What a damming indictment of what we have become!

I started today thinking what I should write to make us understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to do the things we do. While we all have our priorities in life the 13th general elections occupies our minds constantly because who forms the government after this general election will make a big difference to our future.

But how do we start to build a future that we aspire to –one that is different to this oppressive and stifling Malaysia that we now live in? How do we rid ourself of this BN government that is sucking the very life out of our people through its abuse of the political power we ourselves conferred upon them?

We must start clean. We must start with good decent people who will have our interest in mind. We must start with honesty. We are now building the foundation of our future. There must be no compromise to ensure that we do it right. If we get it wrong from the very beginning then we will never get it right ever.

Because we have endured so many abuses by this corrupt BN government many of you have come to the conclusion that we must have change at any costs. Change this bloody BN government first because anything will be better then a BN government. You are all confident that once change has been effected you will ensure that who ever is in government will do as you want them to do – govern this country in a responsible and accountable manner. Let me remind you of the reality.

We elected this BN government into power. We allowed them to be in power for 53 years. And it is only at this 13th general election that we are hoping to change them? Change them with what?

Who amongst you can tell me that you can tell any Prime Minister of this country how to govern this country?

That is the reality.

Do not talk about having an honest IGP or a Police Inspector that will do the right thing by you. You are even powerless to prevent a Traffic Cop from making his ‘duit kopi’ from you everyday of the week day in and day out!

Do you understand that once these bastards are in power you are of no significance to them until the next general election? And before the next general election comes there will be enough time for them to do what they will to ensure that they have their way with us. And who will stand in their way to stop them from doing this? Petra? Bersih? Steadyaku47? The Third Force? Mahasiswa? HUH!

Just look at us now! The most potent force against this BN government is Pakatan Rakyat with DAP, PAS and PKR all aligned against a corrupt BN government – true? Betul? Ya betul…..and how has this BN government dealt with this potential threat from PR? Macham kita tepis lalat!

This is why we need to start without any compromises because once we are prepared to accept a less then perfect leader then we are telling him that we will accept a less then perfect government. And where will that lead us to?

Look at the foundation upon which PKR has been built upon. In their haste to get candidates for the 2008 elections they compromised the selection process. Yes PKR did win the most seats in PR. Yes we denied BN their two-thirds majority. Yes we gave BN hell …but what now?

What is PKR today? A shell of what it was after its triumph at the 12th general election! As bitter a reality as it is for us to accept – PKR has failed us just as it failed itself because it made too many compromises at the very beginning and this compromises became PKR’s way of dealing with anything that came their way.

If we have learnt any lesson from this PKR debacle then when do we to start to change our way of doing things?

You and I will agree that we have never ever been in a better position to make change possible then with this coming 13th general election – so why are we not getting things right on this side of the political divide? Why is BN still lord of all that they survey?

The simple fact is this. We who want change have not been able to get our act together. When I say “WE” I mean our leaders - not only those in Pakatan Rakyat but each and every one of you that can make a difference to what the opposition is – we have all not got our act together!

This is so because we do not have common values. What is right to you is wrong to me. What is acceptable to some is not acceptable to others. It is not a matter of whether you want a Chinese or Malay as your leader – it is a matter of choosing a leader that will be right to lead us.

To have the right leader you need the most basic of values first! We need to trust a leader and we need to be able to depend on that leader to do the right thing by us. Without these two basic requirements then that person you chose can never lead. And if he leads where will he leads us to?

In Pakatan Rakyat the first tier leaders are already from three families – Anwar’s, Kit Siang's and Karpal – and Tok Guru’s son now seems to be heading the same way too. Is this not the nepotism that we accuse UMNO of practising? Or are these leaders in Pakatan Rakyat deserving of their position in the party?

We need to ask ourselves what we want in a leader! Because once in power the Prime Minister of Malaysia is not
some one you or I will be able to go to ask to behave if he decides to misbehave. Do not delude yourself that we the people are in charge! Yes we can vote them out – but only when it is election time.

What happens in between the time they get elected in and when they get elected out…if we can elect them out – is what we should worry about!

You have seen how the election commissions works with the BN government to keep them in office. You have seen what Pakatan Rakyat leaders have done to try and stay in office too in the state they control – successful or not is another matter.

And so to me the only way we can get things right is to make sure that we start right. If we do this then maybe we will have the right leaders to start with and with these leaders we will have the right government doing the right thing for the people of this nation.

I am not convinced that we should accept second best to give ABU a better chance to succeed. It will be an insult to the intelligence of those that support ABU to think that they will accept flawed leaders – because is that not the very reasons they want UMNO out? I cannot agree that if I support ABU then I must accept it warts and all.

Let us make Abu in the image that it was conceived for. It is a rallying point to gather all parties that wants to oust UMNO –and by extension BN. It is an intangible force that must gather momentum now as the 13th general election nears. Let is be a force for good, a force for decent and responsible behaviour and let there be no room for opportunism or questionable values - even if these values can advance our cause in the short term. What matters are long-term gains that are permanent and good for our country. Anything else we can do without.

Because ABU belongs to all of us it is us that will decide where ABU goes. For now we have already agreed to disagree as to who will lead us. And I am sure there will be other issues that will be debated and argued upon.

But ABU is all of us and I know that they will come a time when somehow, by common consensus, the majority of us will decide what is the right way and what is the wrong way for us to move forwards. I hope that when that happens we will have the wisdom to know that it has been decided –then put our differences away and move forward as one towards ABU. Until then let us bicker and disagree in the spirit of give and take because as in every important issue, conflict exists.

For now we are all agreed on ABU! Now what do we have to do to make ABU a reality? To start with let us recognize the elephant that is in the room – Anwar Ibrahim. I have put in my two cents worth on this guy. I have worked for over two years on my blog in support of this guy....until, like so many others, I became another one of those who now know him for what he really is! And I said enough is enough. He is not fit to be our PM!  

I do it not with the intentions of giving UMNO an advantage over what we want to do.

Not with the intentions of weakening your resolve to make ABU a reality.

I do so with the intention of what I think is the right thing to do. And that is to start our ABU campaign in the right manner, with the right leaders and for the right reasons. If what I do makes ABU falters –then let it falter for the right reason – and that is to rid our ABU campaign of anything that could later harm it. I will listen to what others will have to say on this but in return I ask that you do listen to what I say here.

ABU! ABU! ABU!