SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno has, in not so many words, told Gerakan to mind its own business on the possibility of maverick parliamentarian Zulkifili Noordin joining Umno.
Selangor Umno liaison chief Abdul Shukur Idrus said it was Umno’s prerogative to accept or reject applications from individuals wishing to join the party.
“It is our (Umno) right to accept or decline applications from individuals. If there is an application from an individual, it will be processed according to procedure. The supreme council will decide on its worth,” he said in a subtle response to Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan’s comments yesterday.
Gerakan voiced its concern over a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that Umno's door "was always open to anyone wanting to become its members", including Zulkifli.
Teng urged Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership not to accept the Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP as a member.
He said Zulkifli was sacked by Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) for his unwillingness to subscribe to multi-racialism.
"Accepting him into Umno and BN will not augur well for BN as a moderate and multi-racial coalition serving the interests of all Malaysians," he said in a statement.
Zulkifli was expelled from the PKR last Saturday, and became an independent MP.
PAS, a partner in the three-party Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, has closed its doors on Zulkifili’s re-entry.
This is the second time that Gerakan has broken ranks with Umno-BN.
Also yesterday, its Youth wing in Kedah threw its support behind the reintroduction of local council elections, proposed by Penang's PR-led administration
Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said there were more benefits than setbacks to the suggestion, and urged the federal government to assist the PR in carrying out the polls, including amendments to related by-laws.
To show that there is no let up in the effort to root out corruption and discipline those involved in it, party disciplinary board chairman Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Ismail, said the board is being strengthened with new members so that it could go about its business effectively. He is sad but not discouraged by allegations that the board is not doing enough to confront and investigate those against whom reports of vote buying have been lodged. Despite the commitment and determination of Rithauddeen and other members of the board, who say they can investigate the hundreds of complaints it receives, it is, however, generally agreed that the agency is swamped beyond its capability of investigating thoroughly. Thus the board should be happy that the Anti-Corruption Agency is now allowed to help. Already the agency has announced that the outcome of several cases that it is investigating would be known soon. There is no doubt about it the party disciplinary board and the ACA or its successor, the MACC, must step up efforts to clean up Umno of money politics, especially when it is still an important component of the ruling coalition. It should be done quickly before more people begin to ask about the ruling coalition’s credibility in its professed commitment to root out corruption when its dominant member is riddled with corrupt practices and its leaders involved in money politics. Questions like "how can you rid the country of corruption when the government members are corrupt" and "how can you say you want to rid the country of corruption when you are corrupt" should not be asked. It is thus very important for Umno and its partners as well as other political parties in the country to cleanse themselves of corrupt practices. Surely we do not want to be like a neighbouring country where its MPs top the charts when it comes to corruption. The media refer to them as kucing garong, or tomcats, as their habit is to prowl their constituencies and the country looking for something to steal and opportunities to make money. We may not have that many tomcats of that kind yet but we should reject parties that allow them to breed.Umno must rid itself of corruption
IT IS heartening to hear that Umno is stepping up its war on "money politics", the party’s euphemism for vote buying. Vote buying, so the party has acknowledged, is especially rampant during party elections, whether at branch, division or national levels. The dominant partner of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has also acknowledged that money had been used during elections for a long time even before the landmark elections of 1981 when Tun Musa Hitam defeated Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the fight for the deputy presidency.
Not many people in Barisan dare to speak out against the prime minister. The people have been waiting for a long time for a new breed of leaders who are able to speak out on behalf of the people.
It does not necessarily mean that if you are in BN, it means you cannot speak out on behalf of the people. To me, Gerakan has been thrown a new life line by its leaders like Tan Keng Liang.
Even though he may just be Kedah Gerakan's Youth chief, my research through Google.com shows me that he is more than an ordinary youth leader. It shows me that previously he has (I have only chosen the relevant topics involving BN):
1.Asked the PM to consider views of all BN component before appointing a new deputy prime minister.
2. Asked that the Higher Education Loan Fund allocation not to be restricted and that a 'universiti rakyat' (people's university) be set up.
3. Asked for a full probe into the case of the two missing jet engines
4. Asked for the automatic registration of voters
What I can say is that this guy has got a long history of speaking out in what is right and what is wrong. And he seems to do this irrespective of whether the administration or even the PM is involved.
There is nothing wrong in speaking out against the PM if people in BN want the prime minister and BN to improve. In fact, this speaking out should be encouraged.
If Gerakan continues with these type of leaders, I think there may be a hope for the revival of Gerakan.
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