Umno orders BN component parties to handover seats

So, this is how Umno is demonstrating its power and supremacy over all the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and they had even became more demanding by ordering BN component parties who did not perform well in the last general elections to handover all the seats so that Umno could contest them in the next general elections.

Umno vice-president Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal had arrogantly made the call to all BN component parties who failed to perform in the last general elections to surrender the seats that they had contested and lost three years ago so that Umno could contest and win them back for BN.

Apart from that, the Umno vice-president also cited that the reason for the seats handover request is to show the willingness of BN component parties of helping each other and to demonstrate the principle of power sharing within the coalition itself.

And this is the way Umno treat its colleagues in the BN coalition fold, using its arrogance, power and supremacy to reign over all these BN component parties into submission, thus totally disregarding in what we call the equality and spirit of sharing amongst members of the broad BN coalition.

Then, actually what kind of coalition concept the BN is upholding? That only Umno has the vast powers of approving and determining which candidates of these BN component parties should contest, where or otherwise and not the leaders of these BN component parties themselves who are the ones who select their own party candidates to contest.

In fact, on several occasion we had also heard what these BN component party leaders said to the press, especially of those from MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP, mentioning that they will leave it all to the discretion of the BN chairman (Umno president) to decide and approve their candidates to contest in the general election.

It looks the fact that the leaders of these BN component parties does not seem to have the decision making powers in their own parties at all to select nor approving their election candidates to contest in the general elections and leave it all instead, to the Umno president to decide their fate.

In the last general elections, Umno had won 79 parliamentary seats, while Gerakan only won 2, LDP 1 seat, MCA (15), MIC (3), PBB (14), PBRS (1), PBS (3), PRS (6), SAPP (3), SUPP (6), and Upko (3).

On the other hand, Umno won 239 state seats, Gerakan (3), LDP (2), MCA (32), MIC (7), PBRS (1), PBS (12), SAPP (5) and Upko (6). BN was later dealt with a blow when SAPP later withdraw from the BN coalition citing its disappointment over the federal’s vast neglect to the people of Sabah and Sarawak.

How long will all these BN component party leaders able to tolerate and submit to the reign of arrogance and supremacy of Umno? Or are they ever willing to be an obedient slaves, just because they wanted to secure their “powers” and positions in the government?

SUPP, MCA and Gerakan’s plan to leave BN

According to a source, there is a previous attempt by a leader of the SUPP to gather the leaders of both MCA and Gerakan to discuss of a possible new coalition if they were to leave the BN coalition together.

The talks, however failed to broker any final stand on their attempt to abandon the BN fold due to their fear of reprisal from Umno should they were to leave the BN coalition.

Crisis in Gerakan

Well, the worst to feel the discontent in the party fold was Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon who had recently received quite a blow of criticisms from his former party colleagues over his failures and his current ineffective leadership in bringing Gerakan out from the sinking waves of reforms.

At the grassroots level, Gerakan members had also blame Dr Koh and his ally in Penang Dr Teng Hock Nan who is currently the state liaison committee chairman on the party’s total defeat in the last general elections which saw Gerakan lost the entire state and their continuous subservient to Umno.

Other BN component parties

On the other BN component parties like the MCA, MIC and PPP, no effective dissidents were seen in these parties as due the fact that these party leaders had their firm grip on their parties or either all dissents were being purged from the party to avoid any revolts from within.

The BN component parties in Sarawak are also seen to have little problem except for PRS and SPDP who always rival each other, while SUPP who is currently experiencing some leadership tussle following their vast defeat in the recently concluded state election. SUPP will also have its party triennial delegates’ conference soon, which will see all its top post being contested by various factions within.

As for the Sabah BN, Umno seems to be enjoying a very comfortable position in both the coalition and state government because of its dominance over both areas. PBS even though the second largest party in the state BN coalition is seems to be submitting to Umno, while the smaller PBRS and LDP are more vocal to the fact that these two component parties are very often being sidelined in some issues and matters related to appointments to the government and local positions.

Until when all these BN component parties are willing to be so subservient to Umno to an extent even want to lose their teeth and dignities? Up to them to decide the future of their own then.