Umno the true champion of Islam and the Malays?
My article was earlier published in TheAntDaily.com on 29/5/2014
Umno, a Malay party that dominates the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, has always been claiming that it protects the Malays and bumiputeras as well as upholds Islam, calling others from the community who do not embrace Umno as deviants and traitors.
Ever since Umno and BN lost their two-thirds majority in the 2008 general election, Umno has embraced the politics of hatred, threat, violence and racism as part of their effort to create situations of fear among Malaysians. They have no qualms warning people to refrain from supporting the opposition parties, whose influence is on the rise.
Apart from this, Umno has also resorted to many kinds of personal and sexist attacks on the opposition parties in a number of by-elections recently. Other dirty tactics employed by Umno include using several front organisations such as Perkasa, Isma, Pekida, Muafakat and Jati to carry out various kinds of political actions on its behalf. The actions of these organisations are racist, extreme, provocative and aimed at instilling hatred towards non-Malays and non-Muslims.
Is this what Umno means by “upholding and protecting Islam” and championing the cause of the Malay community? Does Umno consider the issuing of threats and sowing hatred and violence as part of its so-called sacred “perjuangan” (struggle)? Is this what Umno deems “Islamic”, more Islamic than what PAS or any other Muslims are doing?
And recently, Umno supporters stormed the Penang State Legislative Assembly and protested outside the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, threatening to burn down the building for the “Umno celaka” remark by a DAP assemblyman.
It is worth noting that compared to Islamic party PAS, Umno clearly has no qualms resorting to such rowdy and intimidating tactics despite its claim to Islamic credentials.
Umno leaders claimed that they were hurt because one DAP assemblyman called the party “celaka”. However, Umno, Perkasa, Isma and the likes have many times called Malaysian Chinese and Indians “chauvinists”, “communists”, “pariah”, “keling”, “intruders” and “pengacau”.
Aren’t these remarks also hurtful to all Chinese and Indians around you? Looks like only Umno leaders and members have the right to feel hurt and angry.
Others must therefore “respect” and “bow” to them even if they are insulted. “Ketuanan Umno” by default?
The facts and realities which Umno chooses to ignore are still out there. Many among the Malay and Bumiputera communities are still under the poverty level because Umno has cheated them of their wealth, resources and entitlements for decades. When Malays cite dissatisfaction over the injustice, Umno in turn blamed the Chinese and Indian communities for their backwardness, calling them “intruders” who robbed the Bumiputeras of their rights.
People are watching! The ones who are controlling the biggest stake of our nation’s wealth and economy are Umno’s top leaders, their cronies, many Umno-linked elite families and government-linked companies (GLCs) which are also dominated mostly by Umno cronies.
Banking, insurance, oil and gas, transportation, the car industry, freight and shipping sectors, power and utilities, hospitals, pharmaceuticals and essential commodities from rice, sugar to flour are all monopolised by Umno leaders and people closely connected to them.
And when the people decide to question Umno and the BN government on various corruption, power abuse and mismanagement cases, Umno leaders and their front organisations would efficiently and conveniently retaliate by accusing them of being ungrateful and trying to challenge Islam, the Malays’ special rights and worst, “belittling and insulting” the Malay rulers.
It is clear that Umno and its leaders have effectively made use of Islam and the entire Malay mass to enrich themselves as well as to maintain their grip on Putrajaya for as long as they desire.
Was it not the prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak who pledged five years ago that he will be the prime minister for all Malaysians? What has become of our nation today?
The voices of truth, justice and reason have been effectively drowned out by all these racists and religious bigots who are rising from within the ranks of Umno and its front organisations.
Where is Najib’s pledged moderation? Why has Najib remained so quiet and allowed this bunch of people to run the entire nation like their own, disregarding law and order and putting the safety of our people at risk?
Umno, a Malay party that dominates the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, has always been claiming that it protects the Malays and bumiputeras as well as upholds Islam, calling others from the community who do not embrace Umno as deviants and traitors.
Ever since Umno and BN lost their two-thirds majority in the 2008 general election, Umno has embraced the politics of hatred, threat, violence and racism as part of their effort to create situations of fear among Malaysians. They have no qualms warning people to refrain from supporting the opposition parties, whose influence is on the rise.
Apart from this, Umno has also resorted to many kinds of personal and sexist attacks on the opposition parties in a number of by-elections recently. Other dirty tactics employed by Umno include using several front organisations such as Perkasa, Isma, Pekida, Muafakat and Jati to carry out various kinds of political actions on its behalf. The actions of these organisations are racist, extreme, provocative and aimed at instilling hatred towards non-Malays and non-Muslims.
Is this what Umno means by “upholding and protecting Islam” and championing the cause of the Malay community? Does Umno consider the issuing of threats and sowing hatred and violence as part of its so-called sacred “perjuangan” (struggle)? Is this what Umno deems “Islamic”, more Islamic than what PAS or any other Muslims are doing?
And recently, Umno supporters stormed the Penang State Legislative Assembly and protested outside the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, threatening to burn down the building for the “Umno celaka” remark by a DAP assemblyman.
It is worth noting that compared to Islamic party PAS, Umno clearly has no qualms resorting to such rowdy and intimidating tactics despite its claim to Islamic credentials.
Umno leaders claimed that they were hurt because one DAP assemblyman called the party “celaka”. However, Umno, Perkasa, Isma and the likes have many times called Malaysian Chinese and Indians “chauvinists”, “communists”, “pariah”, “keling”, “intruders” and “pengacau”.
Aren’t these remarks also hurtful to all Chinese and Indians around you? Looks like only Umno leaders and members have the right to feel hurt and angry.
Others must therefore “respect” and “bow” to them even if they are insulted. “Ketuanan Umno” by default?
The facts and realities which Umno chooses to ignore are still out there. Many among the Malay and Bumiputera communities are still under the poverty level because Umno has cheated them of their wealth, resources and entitlements for decades. When Malays cite dissatisfaction over the injustice, Umno in turn blamed the Chinese and Indian communities for their backwardness, calling them “intruders” who robbed the Bumiputeras of their rights.
People are watching! The ones who are controlling the biggest stake of our nation’s wealth and economy are Umno’s top leaders, their cronies, many Umno-linked elite families and government-linked companies (GLCs) which are also dominated mostly by Umno cronies.
Banking, insurance, oil and gas, transportation, the car industry, freight and shipping sectors, power and utilities, hospitals, pharmaceuticals and essential commodities from rice, sugar to flour are all monopolised by Umno leaders and people closely connected to them.
And when the people decide to question Umno and the BN government on various corruption, power abuse and mismanagement cases, Umno leaders and their front organisations would efficiently and conveniently retaliate by accusing them of being ungrateful and trying to challenge Islam, the Malays’ special rights and worst, “belittling and insulting” the Malay rulers.
It is clear that Umno and its leaders have effectively made use of Islam and the entire Malay mass to enrich themselves as well as to maintain their grip on Putrajaya for as long as they desire.
Was it not the prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak who pledged five years ago that he will be the prime minister for all Malaysians? What has become of our nation today?
The voices of truth, justice and reason have been effectively drowned out by all these racists and religious bigots who are rising from within the ranks of Umno and its front organisations.
Where is Najib’s pledged moderation? Why has Najib remained so quiet and allowed this bunch of people to run the entire nation like their own, disregarding law and order and putting the safety of our people at risk?
