By Jeg Hui
In view of the recent happenings in our political scene, I believe it is better that BN, PN and GPS should stick together to support the current government despite the ongoing internal fighting.
It should be clear by now that UMNO is simply not ready to be playing second fiddle to BERSATU while STAR is unhappy that PAS is given a state seat in Sabah in a show of distrust towards the Islamic party. PAS, like STAR, is actually a component party of PN. GPS however has shown some maturity in politics in which the components are not committing to BN or PN.
The thing is though, since the PM is from BERSATU, naturally UMNO has to settle to playing second fiddle. UMNO even said before that they are not fielding their heavyweights as cabinet ministers knowing that the current government is only a transitional government before PRU15.
So why is UMNO is unhappy now? Shouldn’t the party have named their own PM candidate back in February if they knew they won’t settle to being the underdog? Why did all 42 BN MPs took that risk then and supported Muhyiddin as PM8?
As for STAR, I know that they want to have a large dominance in Sabah so to have an Islamist rep elected by the Chief Minister in Sabah would not augur well with the quite liberal Sabah population. This then begs the question: Isn’t PAS part of your political pact called Perikatan Nasional? It’s like GERAKAN rejecting UMNO in BN, yet it now wants to be part of PN.
The rising cases of COVID-19 is not helping the situation because if Parliament is dissolved to pave the way for a new mandate for governance, a new super cluster could develop, like in the recently concluded Sabah state election. That’s why BN should actually be smart enough to attack when the timing is right. However, since the fight is already out in the open, thanks to BN President’s three recent hits and misses, whatever plan to outsmart the rulers from BERSATU would be a failure. The constant attack by the grassroots due to anxiety and emotion are not helping either.
Worse, the plan for an immediate snap election as announced by PM8 during the Sabah state election campaign is now dead in the water. PM8 knows the scheming behind his back, so there is no way in hell that he would give it to UMNO on a silver platter. So, I cannot simply brush off Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that he has the numbers, because what if he really had the numbers, thanks to a handful of disgruntled, perhaps impatient and short-sighted UMNO lawmakers?
I have mentioned this many times before that UMNO should believe in its own strength and to play it smart by being patient. I have been told this was what the current leaders in UMNO (at least, some of them), were thinking too. With virtually lack of grassroots support and machinery, BERSATU will not last long. Sadly though, BERSATU has now become stronger, no thanks to some poorly-executed moves by the BN leadership in which BERSATU capitalised by not doing anything.
Bold, But Stupid, Move
If I didn’t spell it out clear enough, it was a bold, but stupid, move to pull out UMNO as a supporting party just to show who is boss only to then say still supporting the government headed by Muhyiddin from BERSATU through its lawmakers.
Subsequently, the UMNO President went on to say he could not stop UMNO lawmakers to support Anwar as PM9 in which the grassroots misinterpreted as UMNO had to work together with DAP, which confused them big time.
Despite all that, I reiterate my earlier stand that BN-PN-GPS and other supporting parties should stick together. The only difference this time is that a new leader should emerge from BN. Since the UMNO President/BN Chairman was elected through party election in 2018, he can only be replaced next year. Or, like before, he could be pressured to take a break (again) and let the more popular and acceptable (in my opinion, anyway) Deputy President of UMNO to takeover like he did before the Cameron Highlands by-election. That particular election was the beginning of the resurrection of UMNO and BN, also thanks in great part to the presence of BossKu Najib Razak.
Putting my opinion aside, there are other opinions that should be considered too. A long-time political observer feels that UMNO members are not like members of other political parties in the country.
“UMNO seems to be the only party that asks its president to step down whenever things don’t look so rosy. I don’t see DAP doing it, nor PKR, not to mention other parties, even though their presidents have been at the helm for decades.
Closing Ranks
“The party (UMNO), did the same to DSN (Najib Razak) when BN lost the government in 2018 and now they are doing it to Zahid. Instead of closing ranks to see how things can be improved, their solution is to kill the top and bring another in, with the supporters of the various factions fighting it out, hoping for a cure. I won’t be surprised if they will do the same with Tok Mat if he subsequently becomes President,” she added.
In my opinion as an UMNO member, this unhealthy state of affairs should be stopped and as António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, said: “Now is the time for unity.” Certainly not the time to fight. – New Malaysia Herald
Note: The opinions expressed in this article is solely that of the writer’s and do not necessarily reflect the stand of New Malaysia Herald.
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