The TICKING TIME-BOMB that is Umno Baru

Indeed as the clock ticks away with the drawing closer of the UMNO Baru’s Assembly, the political dramas unfolding on a daily basis is a concern we cannot sit and watch.

Patriotism demands an immediate stop to all the politicking and a citizens' ultimatum given to get on with the job of administering the country in the best interest of the 28 million people.

The many announcements, advice, pronouncements and counter-hints from within the barracks of UMNO Baru clearly indicate a deteriorating power struggle. To deny that is a good as calling night, day.

Nation held to ransom by Umno infighting

Come to think of it, the minority vote polling political party has been rigged with endless battles since the time of the Semangat-46 days. But despite all these years, and despite a clear signal from the voting public since the tsunami general elections of 2008 and 1023, UMNO Baru has not learnt its lessons right.

On the one hand we have an ex-Prime Minister stacking his cards with all kinds of political maneuvering. It appears that his determination to carve a political legacy according to his mantra has not ceased.

At the same time we witness UMNO Baru loyalists of the current Prime Minister calculating their moves for their own power and control agendas.

Between these two tangents that are diametrically opposed to each other, the Malays are being turned pawns. The unending race, religion and rule sentiments being drummed up by various entities within the UMNO Baru camp has become academic now. Never mind the fact that of the 52% of votes that went to the opposition block also included Malays.

Since the close of the 2013 general elections, we have not missed one day that did not rub the diffrent segments of the population in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak the wrong way up. We are not seeing policies and actions that address the 'Way Forward' for all Malaysians.

Instead, the priority is in jostling, undermining, smearing and counter attacks that is punching far too many holes inside the already fatigued political party machine, UMNO Baru.

Indeed the nation is being held at ransom from this leadership crisis and party in-fighting. Even if the political elite within the barracks try to deny it, it is already too late in the hour as the soiled political linen has been washed for far too long in public.

Businesses are suffering. Genuine and established investors are taking a cautious restrain. Only those out to profit from the impending chaos may be coming in droves.

Meanwhile, salaried administrators within the government machinery are also being waxed thin as they are in a predicament as to who to show allegiance given the mounting conflicts within the corridors of decision makers in UMNO Baru.

Ticking time-bomb

A quick surveillance of the many public events being graced by the Who’s Who will tell you the degree of the predicament that is afflicting the administration of the nation.

Likewise, the judiciary must also be very exhausted going by the numerous accounts of cases being dispensed and also those that are awaiting deliberation. The mounting cases ranging from sex and sodomy charges to the right to use or not the name of God, to crime cases including the infamous Altantuya episode and many more - all of these must be placing immeasurable duress on the judiciary.

Add to that the pressure mounting within the compound of the police force and the anti-corruption body.

In a nutshell as these issues are ignored and many more get swept under the carpet, a crisis is aboslutely inevitable. Ask any Crisis Management Guru and they will tell it in your face that a crisis is a situation where multiple issues go ignored and unattended over periods of time.

How then can we plan to tackle any impending economic crisis that is speculated to hit the region? How then do we expect to stay faithful to the political war cries of “Promises Fulfilled” and its sequel “Endless Possibilities”?

Even now, at a slight cough in the global scene, UMNO Baru leaders did not hesitate a moment to raise fuel prices by an unprecedented twenty sens per litre.

Whether we like it or not, whether we have the courage to admit it or not, this nation is being rigged and ragged by a political party that is increasingly finding itself burning on both ends of the rope.

Those self-confessed UMNO Baru die hards have it upon themsleves to either resurrect or sink with the burden of proof. For as long as you profess to be an UMNO Baru faithful, the categorical imperative, as expounded by the philosopher Kant, demands that the moral responsibility is entirley yours to then cleanse and redress a political party and put the nation first before its strictly party interests.

All else failing, at some point, Malaysians have to take the bull by the horn. Patriotic citizens and untarnished leaders who uphold the tenets of democracy and regard governance as a vocation and not a silk route to fame, power and wealth must stand up.

Otherwise, we may just as well prepare to join the ranks of nations who can only sing “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept …”.

Unfortunately, that time may after all not be too far off going by the changing socio-political and socio-economic climates that is sweeping across the world with indications of gaining speed in the few years ahead.

MAILBAG

Full article: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/