Muhyiddin still wants to talk with PAS?

Despite of the rebuff and repulsion by PAS on the call by UMNO for the party to work hand-in glove with them, Muhyiddin still maintains that UMNO is always keeping its door open for PAS to come forward to join the proposed unity government. Muhyiddin said that the call was not political in motive but purely for the sake of Islam and the Malays.

However PAS on the other side reiterates that the party will remain loyal to the loose coalition in Pakatan Rakyat (PR). The party is going head-on with UMNO and its ageing coalition BN in the forthcoming General Election (GE). Its President in his message to the party’s annual general assembly firmly rehabilitated the party’s stand to remain as a loyal partner in PR until they achieve the goal of putting UMNO/BN at the opposition bench after the coming GE.

It’s saccharine for Muhyiddin to come out with his sincere suggestion that UMNO is real in his call for the two Malay based party to move forward hand in hand to achieve the eternal and perpetual Malay and Muslim unity for the present and the future. Muhyiddin said that UMNO is always open for organic discussions with PAS despite of pitiful reactions from its component parties within BN.

Muhyiddin wants both UMNO and PAS to discuss the issue of unity government. The UMNO Deputy President's move was taken by some quarters that UMNO is in desperate attempt to hang on to power. UMNO has of late feels that the forthcoming GE is set for tough encounter to remain in power.

PAS however rejected Muhyiddin’s notion that our country has already a welfare state under Barisan Nasional which has surpassed that was proposed by PAS in the party’s muktamar which ended yesterday. What we have achieved is far behind the claim by Muhyiddin that Malaysian is already living in a welfare state.

I still maintain that nobody would take a rain check to discuss with UMNO for Malay and Malaysian unity and that includes DAP. PAS once upon a time even joined the Barisan Nasional. Gerakkan was formed as an opposition party but subsequently joined BN for the sake of national unity. There is nothing unworkable in politics as long as the workings are done by someone magnanimous enough to command respect from everyone.

Why do PAS, DAP and other opposition parties having hesitation to compromise with UMNO? The answer is simple. They don’t trust the present line of leadership up to the core. “We need fresh UMNO line of leadership like those we used to have in the seventies” said one of DAP local leaders in my neighborhood.

“DAP is not interested to become the PM because we are not fielding enough seats in any GE. We want a Malay leader to be the PM but there is nobody we can trust within the current line of leaders. You want us to support you? Then you change everyone in the line up. We suspect everybody and trust no one in present UMNO supreme council. You change and we change.” said a former local MCA leader who now active in DAP. “I left MCA because there are a lot of nonsensical and ludicrous leaders impregnating the party. UMNO should change all their leaders and please change the party’s image. If there is no change PAS will be the representative for the Malays. We need Malays but not the one in present UMNO lineup. Why don’t you all change them? We are waiting for that change within you people” looking serious.

This sort of reaction is a normal encounter from my Chinese friends and associates who say things very frank and clear to me as a friend they trust talking to. Obviously they perceive our leaders as stumbling block for progress and they just could tolerate the pranks of BN leaders. They perceive our leaders as vandals to this beautiful nation that is blessed with wealth by nature.

When I asked them whether there’s any leader with a PM material within PR, he swiftly answered, “Once we win we are prepared to talk to any sensible leader within UMNO to start a new politics. Then we talk about special Malay rights and what ever the Malays are unhappy with. That leader we choose can be from UMNO but certainly not anyone within the current supreme council.”

When we hears this loud and clear,please be reminded that this blog has been writing umpteen of time suggesting that we have to start this nation politics anew. I am sure we can find someone experienced enough to take the edge off these complexes of politics.

We need structural changes that suit the current needs of the people of different races, cultures and faith. The world has changed, we have to change too. Whatever changes done must be a straight path towards national unity and talking about racial issues has to be taken as a punishable offense.

I believe that the current leaderships do not have sufficient reliability to work on the new facets of the nation’s politics. Let us all find that natural leader to save Malaysia and to find the perpetual political sanity that we frantically need. Let's do away with leaders who come along with heavy baggage.

Muhyiddin must now accept that by mere having talk between PAS and UMNO does not go anywhere and does no good to anyone. Malaysian politic is not a game between just UMNO and PAS only. It has to be more than that…much more.