“It is just a minor setback,” says Najib in denial when asked to comment on the BN defeat in Kuala Terengganu.
What else can he say? It’s a political answer and we understand that too well.
The result is the follow through of 8th March 2008 General Election and proved that the good support of PR in that election was no coincidence. That was an actual support and it was no fluke.
Our party leaders are like mad dogs barking and wailing aloud without knowing even a bit of what they are saying when being confronted with humiliating defeat like this.
On the other hand, PAS has leaders who are more level-headed and call for its members not to celebrate as it may injure the feelings of the losing party and their followers.
That quality statement by PAS leaders really reflects to the eyes of the voting public that the party is already well-prepared and fit to be the alternative for the Malays and the Muslims who are in the search for the party which can be their political sanctuary.
All Malays need an alternative party since UMNO is just an exclusive club meant for the rich and the famous where they conduct business with easiness and solve their business tribulations at the expense of the people in particular the ordinary members.
Too many Malays think that UMNO is already a pest to them. Their beliefs in UMNO are fading as they are not consulted for whatever the party wants to do.
Too many UMNO leaders are getting rich far too fast and too massive and that was the reason why there were too many sirens whistling around in Kuala Terengganu which made the voters feel disgusted.
“Menyampah aku, orang UMNO yang datang dari luar bukan nak kempen tapi tunjuk kereta besar dan bercakap besar. Anak saya pun ada kereta macam tu kat KL,” kata seorang yang sebaya dengan saya melalui telefon.
“Apa dia orang pikir kita orang Terengganu ni bangsat sangat ke?” tambahnya marah.
They believe the money spent lavishly by outsiders especially from KL is all their money which they solicit through corrupt practices and misuse of power.
They know those leaders who drive big and fleshy cars in Kuala Terengganu have tiny brains but have to be showy about what they have to cover all their defective else.
UMNO leaders were more focused on campaigning for party elections than campaigning for the by-election and some UMNO leaders themselves were saying in the open that chances for us to be defeated in Kuala Terengganu was promising.
The visible presence of over 4000 police personnel was another contributory factor that made the voters having contemptuous feelings towards the ruling party.
All in all BN committed fumbles after fumbles in the effort to retain the seat which they won slimly in the last General Election which in the end brought the tides against them.
One of Najib’s supporters today calls everyone not to blame Najib for the defeat as Wan Ahmad Farid was nominated by Abdullah Badawi.
What kind of statement was that? It only shows how shallow his political acumen is. But I have been told that even if Najib managed to put up his candidate he is going to lose as well, because the rejection of the voters is because of UMNO itself.
This statement clearly reflects UMNO does not have the fitting attitude towards its struggles. Now we can hear members in Terengganu blaming each other for the defeat and that is UMNO of today.
They cannot accept that Wan Farid was UMNO’s candidate and they should be collectively responsible whoever nominated him. This attitude has been the norms these days and that brings UMNO to this unmitigated problem as they are not united.
My opinion that UMNO should be reconstituted is conclusive. That is the only choice available to save the party, or else UMNO is certain to become history.
It may sound hurting, but what else can I say? Trust me, I am saying it with my heart.
Thanks……………………………………Aspan Alias
20 January 2009
18 January 2009
UMNO hammered!
Kuala Terengganu voters finally decided to give the mandate to PAS in the by-election with a thumping majority of 2631 votes and our grand old party was hammered unceremoniously by the people and voters of this east coast constituency.
With this decision BN is certain of losing the PU13 as it is a clear signal of denunciation on the leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib, the Director of the election who spent days and weeks in Kuala Terengganu.
Whether we like it or not, Najib should start packing and leave the official Residence in Putrajaya and back to Langgak Duta.
Morally he is rejected, as he was the main figure to lead the by-election and the loss means his failure to secure support for his leadership.
As for other leaders it worth the while to think and start calculating their pensions as they are going to be rejected in any by-election and the coming General Election.
It is noticeable that Abdullah Badawi’s issue is not the factor any longer as he has decided to retire shortly with these results it is proven that all these while Abdullah was not the only person who should be taking the blame but all the bunch who are in the leadership line-ups.
The real issue is the rejection of incoming leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib and as I have strongly indicated in my previous posting, PAS would win as a strong signal of rejection for UMNO leadership as long as he is within the current line-up.
If it is not the total rejection of the party, what then is the real reason for the rejection?
Who is going to be carrying the blame for this dismal defeat? The candidate? Ahmad Said? Najib? Or anybody else?
BN in actual fact does not have any reason not to win even by a simple majority as the
basic cost of living has already gone down, with the reduction of petrol and the massive campaign the BN government is doing to reduce prices of essential goods that the people consume.
Much publicized animosities among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition over the hudud issue do not affect the opposition as the obsessions against UMNO are too enormously intelligible.
So, what do we do next? UMNO had tried to mend the wrongs since the humiliating defeat in a lot of UMNO heartland in the 8th March 2008 elections but the people just couldn’t be bothered about it.
Everything that UMNO does, the people take it contemptuously as the leadership has ignored them for the past 2 decades.
Leaders for the past 2 decades did everything without consultation with the people and they feel that they are in no part of the ruling government.
In essence, UMNO must reconstitute itself. The whole line-up has got to go and there is no two- ways about it. Get to somebody outside the current line up to steer UMNO to safe sanctuary if we are really members with passionate feelings towards the party.
By analogy, UMNO is like a cancer patient. In it, the useless and deadly cells are fighting and decomposing all the good cells for the past over 2 decades.
Now UMNO is at the incurable stage and we can clearly see that all the leaders up there are still in denial.
Our cancerous UMNO will fall heinously if they (the current leaders) are still there.
I believe what the late Jaafar Albar told us at a small dinner at The Lodge Hotel soon after he won as the National Youth Head.
He said that he went on for the UMNO Youth Head to save UMNO from suffering, as he believed that the moment Dr Mahathir and Musa took the party leadership, UMNO would slowly move towards decadence.
In private Jaafar Albar confided that he was eyeing to contest against Dr Mahathir as Deputy President in 1978 to save and avoid UMNO being led by Mahathir but he died prematurely in Johor in 1977.
The thrashing in Kuala Terengganu is not unexpected and to all leaders and members alike, I call for every one to soul search oneself as the party is at a critical stage.
Thanks……………………………………..Aspan Alias.
With this decision BN is certain of losing the PU13 as it is a clear signal of denunciation on the leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib, the Director of the election who spent days and weeks in Kuala Terengganu.
Whether we like it or not, Najib should start packing and leave the official Residence in Putrajaya and back to Langgak Duta.
Morally he is rejected, as he was the main figure to lead the by-election and the loss means his failure to secure support for his leadership.
As for other leaders it worth the while to think and start calculating their pensions as they are going to be rejected in any by-election and the coming General Election.
It is noticeable that Abdullah Badawi’s issue is not the factor any longer as he has decided to retire shortly with these results it is proven that all these while Abdullah was not the only person who should be taking the blame but all the bunch who are in the leadership line-ups.
The real issue is the rejection of incoming leadership of Dato’ Seri Najib and as I have strongly indicated in my previous posting, PAS would win as a strong signal of rejection for UMNO leadership as long as he is within the current line-up.
If it is not the total rejection of the party, what then is the real reason for the rejection?
Who is going to be carrying the blame for this dismal defeat? The candidate? Ahmad Said? Najib? Or anybody else?
BN in actual fact does not have any reason not to win even by a simple majority as the
basic cost of living has already gone down, with the reduction of petrol and the massive campaign the BN government is doing to reduce prices of essential goods that the people consume.
Much publicized animosities among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition over the hudud issue do not affect the opposition as the obsessions against UMNO are too enormously intelligible.
So, what do we do next? UMNO had tried to mend the wrongs since the humiliating defeat in a lot of UMNO heartland in the 8th March 2008 elections but the people just couldn’t be bothered about it.
Everything that UMNO does, the people take it contemptuously as the leadership has ignored them for the past 2 decades.
Leaders for the past 2 decades did everything without consultation with the people and they feel that they are in no part of the ruling government.
In essence, UMNO must reconstitute itself. The whole line-up has got to go and there is no two- ways about it. Get to somebody outside the current line up to steer UMNO to safe sanctuary if we are really members with passionate feelings towards the party.
By analogy, UMNO is like a cancer patient. In it, the useless and deadly cells are fighting and decomposing all the good cells for the past over 2 decades.
Now UMNO is at the incurable stage and we can clearly see that all the leaders up there are still in denial.
Our cancerous UMNO will fall heinously if they (the current leaders) are still there.
I believe what the late Jaafar Albar told us at a small dinner at The Lodge Hotel soon after he won as the National Youth Head.
He said that he went on for the UMNO Youth Head to save UMNO from suffering, as he believed that the moment Dr Mahathir and Musa took the party leadership, UMNO would slowly move towards decadence.
In private Jaafar Albar confided that he was eyeing to contest against Dr Mahathir as Deputy President in 1978 to save and avoid UMNO being led by Mahathir but he died prematurely in Johor in 1977.
The thrashing in Kuala Terengganu is not unexpected and to all leaders and members alike, I call for every one to soul search oneself as the party is at a critical stage.
Thanks……………………………………..Aspan Alias.
11 January 2009
UMNO yang 'jembel'
Dalam kita menghadapi pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu, ramai yang memberitahu saya bahawa ianya merupakan pilihanraya yang sangat interesting kerana ianya berlaku dalam keadaan UMNO sedang rebah-rempah dengan masalah dalaman.
Pendeknya, harapan PAS untuk merebut kembali kerusi Kuala Terengganu bukanlah suatu perkara yang mustahil.
Seandainya PAS berjaya, ini merupakan satu profile yang kuat untuk memberitahu rakyat bahawa parti itu mempunyai consequence yang besar dan akan dijadikan bukti bahawasanya PAS mampu untuk menjadi parti alternatif bagi orang melayu Islam.
Sebaliknya, ini juga menampakkan kelemahan UMNO yang akhirnya akan menjadikan parti itu sebagai parti jembel yang sedang menunggu kemangkatannya.
Ada yang memberitahu saya bahawa peti-peti undi BN tidak begitu bersih kerana ramai yang secara senyap-senyap akan membantu PAS kerana perasaan yang tidak selesa dengan UMNO.
UMNO tidak langsung mampu untuk mengawal kesetiaan ahlinya kerana masalah dalaman memamah segala kudrat dan kemampuan parti ini untuk berfungsi secara efektif.
Sesungguhnya isu peribadi Najib menjadi isu besar dalam pilihanraya kecil ini dan nyatalah kepada kita bahawa seorang pemimpin yang ingin menjadi pemimpin besar wajib berkemampuan untuk menghindari isu seperti ini daripada menjadi buah mulut rakyat.
Terlalu ramai rakyat yang begitu terbuka bercakap tentang isu Najib dan dia tidak mampu untuk melenyapkannya.
Dalam amalan banyak negara maju, pemimpin seperti Najib memang tidak lagi layak untuk menjadi pemimpin…itu etika kepimpinan yang tulen.
Samada isu itu benar atau sebaliknya, Najib tidak lagi patut menerima jawatan dalam kerajaan dan beliau perlu mencari face-saving device yang sesuai untuk mengundurkan diri daripada apa-apa jawatan dalam parti dan kerajaan.
Jika UMNO tersungkur di Kuala Terengganu, ianya adalah isyarat yang nyata bahawa kepimpinan Najib tidak bermaya dan itu jugalah yang akan kita lihat dalam pilihanraya umum yang akan datang.
UMNO perlukan bukan sahaja reformasi bahkan ia memerlukan transformasi dengan batang tubuh yang lain daripada mereka yang ada pada hari ini untuk memimpin parti dan negara.
Rakyat tentunya ternanti-nanti untuk menyaksikan perubahan dan mengalami situasi yang baru untuk hidup dalam perasaan selesa dan berkeyakinan dalam negara yang aman makmur dan sejahtera tanpa menumpukan pemikiran dengan perasaan tidak menentu seperti yang kita alami sekarang.
Jika dahulu isu Abdullah Badawi berkumandang di seluruh negara, sekarang ini pula rakyat begitu runsing dan takut jika Najib mengambilalih kepimpinan dengan pelbagai isu yang dihadapinya.
Najib sedang bergelumang dengan isu peribadi yang berbagai dan semestinya beliau daripada segi etikanya memang tidak lagi boleh memegang jawatan yang diidamkannya pada bulan Mac yang akan datang ini.
Jelaslah pada kita bahawa sistem pemilihan dalam UMNO tidak lagi mampu untuk memastikan kepimpinan yang dipilih oleh perwakilan UMNO itu dapat diterima oleh orang ramai.
Kita tunggu 17hb ini, mungkin isyarat akan terdampar di hadapan kita untuk kita semua memulakan transformasi seperti yang saya sebutkan tadi.
Sekian…………………………………………Aspan Alias
Pendeknya, harapan PAS untuk merebut kembali kerusi Kuala Terengganu bukanlah suatu perkara yang mustahil.
Seandainya PAS berjaya, ini merupakan satu profile yang kuat untuk memberitahu rakyat bahawa parti itu mempunyai consequence yang besar dan akan dijadikan bukti bahawasanya PAS mampu untuk menjadi parti alternatif bagi orang melayu Islam.
Sebaliknya, ini juga menampakkan kelemahan UMNO yang akhirnya akan menjadikan parti itu sebagai parti jembel yang sedang menunggu kemangkatannya.
Ada yang memberitahu saya bahawa peti-peti undi BN tidak begitu bersih kerana ramai yang secara senyap-senyap akan membantu PAS kerana perasaan yang tidak selesa dengan UMNO.
UMNO tidak langsung mampu untuk mengawal kesetiaan ahlinya kerana masalah dalaman memamah segala kudrat dan kemampuan parti ini untuk berfungsi secara efektif.
Sesungguhnya isu peribadi Najib menjadi isu besar dalam pilihanraya kecil ini dan nyatalah kepada kita bahawa seorang pemimpin yang ingin menjadi pemimpin besar wajib berkemampuan untuk menghindari isu seperti ini daripada menjadi buah mulut rakyat.
Terlalu ramai rakyat yang begitu terbuka bercakap tentang isu Najib dan dia tidak mampu untuk melenyapkannya.
Dalam amalan banyak negara maju, pemimpin seperti Najib memang tidak lagi layak untuk menjadi pemimpin…itu etika kepimpinan yang tulen.
Samada isu itu benar atau sebaliknya, Najib tidak lagi patut menerima jawatan dalam kerajaan dan beliau perlu mencari face-saving device yang sesuai untuk mengundurkan diri daripada apa-apa jawatan dalam parti dan kerajaan.
Jika UMNO tersungkur di Kuala Terengganu, ianya adalah isyarat yang nyata bahawa kepimpinan Najib tidak bermaya dan itu jugalah yang akan kita lihat dalam pilihanraya umum yang akan datang.
UMNO perlukan bukan sahaja reformasi bahkan ia memerlukan transformasi dengan batang tubuh yang lain daripada mereka yang ada pada hari ini untuk memimpin parti dan negara.
Rakyat tentunya ternanti-nanti untuk menyaksikan perubahan dan mengalami situasi yang baru untuk hidup dalam perasaan selesa dan berkeyakinan dalam negara yang aman makmur dan sejahtera tanpa menumpukan pemikiran dengan perasaan tidak menentu seperti yang kita alami sekarang.
Jika dahulu isu Abdullah Badawi berkumandang di seluruh negara, sekarang ini pula rakyat begitu runsing dan takut jika Najib mengambilalih kepimpinan dengan pelbagai isu yang dihadapinya.
Najib sedang bergelumang dengan isu peribadi yang berbagai dan semestinya beliau daripada segi etikanya memang tidak lagi boleh memegang jawatan yang diidamkannya pada bulan Mac yang akan datang ini.
Jelaslah pada kita bahawa sistem pemilihan dalam UMNO tidak lagi mampu untuk memastikan kepimpinan yang dipilih oleh perwakilan UMNO itu dapat diterima oleh orang ramai.
Kita tunggu 17hb ini, mungkin isyarat akan terdampar di hadapan kita untuk kita semua memulakan transformasi seperti yang saya sebutkan tadi.
Sekian…………………………………………Aspan Alias
21 December 2008
Happy New Year! Hoping for new scenes
The year is ending with multihued happenings. We are just at the foyer of the New Year both for the Muslim calendar and the lunar calendar month with lofty hopes for better future for the nation and Malaysian as a whole.
To the politicians the year has been very colorful with copious misadventures by committing loads and piles of mistakes through their foolhardiness that create vulnerable political environment for the country.
No one seems to be able to display good and convincing leadership dispositions for the people to lean on for good future of the nation.
Leaders, especially from the ruling party are the main contributory essentials for the spiteful experience the country has gone through and that became the strength and potency of the oppositions.
It is also the year that witnessed the total decay of inter racial unity which New Economic Policy (NEP) has developed and God knows who can do the repair job as the decomposition is almost irremediable.
The recklessness of governing leaders over the past 2 decades were ostensible as they went head on against the very policy of UMNO and BN which accepted the NEP as the basic principle of achieving the National Unity.
All the efforts by the NEP as the ultimate motive to achieve national unity have been displaced and anyone who is given the task to build it again would need another 3 decades to visualize the initial progress.
Even before disbanding the NEP in 1990 the Malays were openly criticized by their own UMNO leaders and the leaders themselves, and that was done unshielded in front of the naked eyes of the non-Malays.
Thus the 2008 is the year of when the interracial disintegration is at the lowest ebb that worries every thinking soul. The situation seems to be worst than the environment before 13 May of 1969 as I clearly remember.
By and large we have to agree that apart from inter-racial and inter party disintegrations; there are obvious problems in intra party and intra racial animosities within the other races.
MCA is cut to 2 halves and this would lead to unstable political circumstances that in the end would tax the credibility of BN in facing the next General Election.
GERAKAN is confronting internal problems and has made calls for their position in BN be reviewed as the party has blamed UMNO for the fall out in the last GE.
SAPP has unceremoniously left BN and that caused a big blow for the coalitions and seeing other component leaving the coalition is not something to be surprised at.
The international financial crisis is at the worst after 1930’s and there has not been any solid and affirmative planning to face the crisis which has slowly crept at our shore other than just listening to promises that the situation is being monitored but with no preemptive action to justify the ability of those leaders in circumventing the economic downturn.
The congregation of the G20 in Washington last month has not really shown any indication that the financial crisis can be solved in short due as the calls for the reinventing the BrettonWood 2 does not seem to materialize.
All these have very direct effect on the nation’s economy as our country is by far the most active trading nation in the region.
Those are among the many bad stories but the people are waiting for a new regime that can launch aggressive and drastic transformation for the country and that need a real and truly effective leader which we can’t find within the line-up of today.
May be we have to find solution to exercise and invent new mode of administration and that have to do something which we have not seen in our lifetime as yet.
The Malay rulers, leaders of the old and recent time have to come up with these invention as the country have to be insulated from any danger that may come from within and outside the country.
The total mindset has got to be change and only persons with the ability to accept new shape of thinking should qualify to be within the new administration.
For more than 2 decades I have been seeing that the only person of that stature with sound and quantitative leadership is Tengku Razaleih Hamzah as this man has never having to carry personal baggage with him.
Depending on UMNO delegates’ choice does not make anything good as the delegate system have proven everyone as defective for the future of the country.
The delegate system has invited massive corrupt practices in the election and it only rots the country to destitute.
Can we or can we not see any good changes within this period as time is running too short for the change?
I perpetually pray that God with grace us all and let see that we can witness the changes within this New Year.
Please remember on the 29th we Muslim will be celebrating the New Year with the month of Muharram.
I have no scientific explanation but my intuition says that changes are imminent for the sake of our great nation and for the purpose of guaranteeing the good fate of our generation.
Assalaamualaikum!
Thanks………………………………..Aspan Alias.
To the politicians the year has been very colorful with copious misadventures by committing loads and piles of mistakes through their foolhardiness that create vulnerable political environment for the country.
No one seems to be able to display good and convincing leadership dispositions for the people to lean on for good future of the nation.
Leaders, especially from the ruling party are the main contributory essentials for the spiteful experience the country has gone through and that became the strength and potency of the oppositions.
It is also the year that witnessed the total decay of inter racial unity which New Economic Policy (NEP) has developed and God knows who can do the repair job as the decomposition is almost irremediable.
The recklessness of governing leaders over the past 2 decades were ostensible as they went head on against the very policy of UMNO and BN which accepted the NEP as the basic principle of achieving the National Unity.
All the efforts by the NEP as the ultimate motive to achieve national unity have been displaced and anyone who is given the task to build it again would need another 3 decades to visualize the initial progress.
Even before disbanding the NEP in 1990 the Malays were openly criticized by their own UMNO leaders and the leaders themselves, and that was done unshielded in front of the naked eyes of the non-Malays.
Thus the 2008 is the year of when the interracial disintegration is at the lowest ebb that worries every thinking soul. The situation seems to be worst than the environment before 13 May of 1969 as I clearly remember.
By and large we have to agree that apart from inter-racial and inter party disintegrations; there are obvious problems in intra party and intra racial animosities within the other races.
MCA is cut to 2 halves and this would lead to unstable political circumstances that in the end would tax the credibility of BN in facing the next General Election.
GERAKAN is confronting internal problems and has made calls for their position in BN be reviewed as the party has blamed UMNO for the fall out in the last GE.
SAPP has unceremoniously left BN and that caused a big blow for the coalitions and seeing other component leaving the coalition is not something to be surprised at.
The international financial crisis is at the worst after 1930’s and there has not been any solid and affirmative planning to face the crisis which has slowly crept at our shore other than just listening to promises that the situation is being monitored but with no preemptive action to justify the ability of those leaders in circumventing the economic downturn.
The congregation of the G20 in Washington last month has not really shown any indication that the financial crisis can be solved in short due as the calls for the reinventing the BrettonWood 2 does not seem to materialize.
All these have very direct effect on the nation’s economy as our country is by far the most active trading nation in the region.
Those are among the many bad stories but the people are waiting for a new regime that can launch aggressive and drastic transformation for the country and that need a real and truly effective leader which we can’t find within the line-up of today.
May be we have to find solution to exercise and invent new mode of administration and that have to do something which we have not seen in our lifetime as yet.
The Malay rulers, leaders of the old and recent time have to come up with these invention as the country have to be insulated from any danger that may come from within and outside the country.
The total mindset has got to be change and only persons with the ability to accept new shape of thinking should qualify to be within the new administration.
For more than 2 decades I have been seeing that the only person of that stature with sound and quantitative leadership is Tengku Razaleih Hamzah as this man has never having to carry personal baggage with him.
Depending on UMNO delegates’ choice does not make anything good as the delegate system have proven everyone as defective for the future of the country.
The delegate system has invited massive corrupt practices in the election and it only rots the country to destitute.
Can we or can we not see any good changes within this period as time is running too short for the change?
I perpetually pray that God with grace us all and let see that we can witness the changes within this New Year.
Please remember on the 29th we Muslim will be celebrating the New Year with the month of Muharram.
I have no scientific explanation but my intuition says that changes are imminent for the sake of our great nation and for the purpose of guaranteeing the good fate of our generation.
Assalaamualaikum!
Thanks………………………………..Aspan Alias.
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