Umno’s faithful broke from their final pre-polls huddle last night clearly spirited and re-energised but there was little they gained from the four-day meet, analysts have said, noting that the assembly witnessed nothing more than chest-thumping and finger-pointing rhetoric from party delegates.
The only significant takeaway from the assembly for those in attendance, however, was party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s unity message last night and his repeated reminders for members to stay united and to point their knives outward ― towards the enemy ― rather than at internal rivals.
The only significant takeaway from the assembly for those in attendance, however, was party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s unity message last night and his repeated reminders for members to stay united and to point their knives outward ― towards the enemy ― rather than at internal rivals.
It was a message that was driven home to the hilt, particularly with the country hurtling so quickly forward to the next general election, which must be called by next April.
“We must say, declare with loud voices that… even if I am not chosen, I will fully support the candidate chosen by Umno and [Barisan Nasional],” the prime minister had said in his closing speech at Umno’s 66th general assembly.
A loud chorus of approval came in response, and shouts of “Can!” rocked the cavernous Dewan Merdeka here as delegates clambered to declare their unity.
But their enthusiasm and the tears of emotion that poured down some faces when Najib led them into prayer later, may not be enough for Umno to score the win it so badly needs at the ballot boxes.
For one, although Najib and his team have been working tirelessly to transform and reinvent Umno in the past four years, it is difficult to say if the party’s grassroots, who form the majority of its over three million members, have followed in the party president’s steps.
This was most apparent during the assembly, when party delegates employed the same opposition-bashing tactics of past meets, despite Najib’s advice to offer fresh ideas for the future, instead of dwell on past mistakes.
In his policy speech when opening the assembly, Najib had said that Malaysia’s voter demographics had changed radically over the past few decades and the youth now made up a significant portion of the electorate.
He told delegates that voters today are a more discerning, critical and technology-savvy bunch who would want to see what the government could offer for their future instead of reminisce on past successes.
But Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff told The Malaysian Insider that despite this clear message from Najib, there was little mentioned during debates on future reforms and fresh policies that the BN lynchpin could offer the future generation of Malaysians.
“From the news, (I) see no direction taken; I only saw endless criticisms against the opposition,” he said.
The academician agreed that this was clear indication that while Najib and his team of leaders have taken giant leaps forward in their transformational process, much of the party remained behind.
“The assembly this time did not bring forward the transformation in Umno that the president has promised.
“The hall was merely filled with sentiments and emotion,” Agus added.
In an earlier interview with The Malaysian Insider, the professor had also acknowledged that Najib’s quest for unity in Umno could be a premature demand, reasoning that internal sabotage was an “old issue” in the party.
“In the party, there are still elements of sabotage, as each continues to feel they have contributed to the party and they want to become candidates. And when they do not get to be candidates, they start to sabotage others.
“This is an old issue in the party and it has to be resolved carefully,” he had said.
True enough, there seemed to be some sense of this element, even among those attending the assembly over the past week.
One Perak leader admitted to The Malaysian Insider recently that “a few constituencies” have continued to cause trouble for Umno, even though members have already sworn their allegiance to the party.
Another top leader from Perlis Umno also conceded to continuing friction between two warring factions in the state liaison body ― supporters of Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu and those in his predecessor Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim’s camp.
“If Md Isa wants to lead properly, he must consult us all. He cannot allow outside factors to interfere in our business,” the leader, who is pro-Shahidan, sniped when approached by The Malaysian Insider.
But to Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) political scientist Professor Dr Jayum Jawan, Najib should no longer pay attention to these party dissidents, noting that it was time for Umno to rid itself of its past warlord culture.
“Changes must happen… and new faces, those who can bring these changes to the party, must be brought forward.
“If we keep fearing, then changes will never happen…. it is a do or die thing for the Umno president but there are no other ways.
“This is the risk that politicians, at some point in time, must take and uphold their decision,” he said.
Umno has been striving to weed out internal saboteurs, whom it believes were largely to blame for the colossal losses BN had suffered during the last polls.
In Election 2008, the ruling coalition had lost its traditional two-thirds parliamentary majority and ceded five states to parties that eventually formed the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact. It later regained control of Perak following a series of defections.
In October, Najib announced the party leadership’s decision to accord special powers to a new panel to take action against those who betrayed or attempted to sabotage the party or any other BN candidate.
BN’s mandate will end in April 2013, leaving the prime minister now with just five months to call for polls.
If the grounding and values are solid and the foundation for a deep affection strong, how can a brother even think of killing a brother for something as transient as wealth or power?
The dangers of success are more dramatic than the perils of failure. Complacence is an easy trap. Arrogance is seductive.Najib has been given freedom to govern, but his first watch has to be on a slippage by colleagues. By giving him freedom, the voter has denied him an excuseA political party must, of course, spread its attention span beyond a single section of the electorate, but parties that become so embedded in their past that they cannot come to terms with a new and growing influence in public life, pay a heavy price in elections.The practical way of dealing with change is pragmatism. The BJP and the Communists are mired in post-electoral ideological confusion for a very good reason: they have an ideology. Ideology gets brittle when it remains locked in the fetters of its birth. Flexibility is always a difficult call for believers, and every debate about the exact degree of dilution necessary is an invitation to acrimony.It may be difficult to deal with defeat, but the regret of a drowned dream is quickly overtaken by the compulsions of survival. Both theUMNOand the Left now face an existential dilemma, and will require honesty to pare away that part of the dogma that has checked the growth of one and undermined the success of the other.It is easy to sneer at the defeated, but a paradox needs to be noted.
In electoral science, statistics are illustrative, interpretation is critical and everything is fluid. Politics is evolutionary, and evolution – even Darwin’s – is a theory, not a fact. No election is an echo of the past, let alone a mirror of the future.The statistics of this year’s general elections do not justify the self-evident depression that has overtaken Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin said that some local party members were told it was “pointless turning up to nomination meetings because it was already decided”
Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has outlined the “Seven Commandments of Victory for BN”, first of dictates that the grassroots must not to dispute BN’s candidates list. Yes just obey and follow like the herd of sheep. Don’t ask any question because you already know the answer. Unless you are still the UTUSAN retards. If it is so, then just abide to the UTUSAN subscriptions and fully believe in it and no question! UMNO grassroots must accept all crony candidates of leaders without question. Even if Sharizat was picked, then grassroots should regard it that she was the best candidate for UMNO. Do not question about political donations – it is meant for leaders only. The higher the position the more they get.The happiness of life, the joy of individual liberty, will define the politics of India in the foreseeable future. Those politicians who do not recognize this are condemned to irrelevance
n other words, Deputy President, you command the grassroots to be herds of buffalo, to follow without question, reasoning, right? Some democracy UMNOBARU practices! it was Allah’s chosen people, then utusan is god’s papers (Umnoran) now it’s Nabi MooHidding with his 7 commandments. They are taking over the place of Allah. This party is leading all muslims into the fire of hell. Has the Dajjal come too soon? I am a muslim but if I were an Umno member, I will get the hell out of this party through the 1st exit I could find. You can call me unfaithful for all I care. But I refuse to let you shake my faith in Allah.
Obama was first featured in Licensable Bear Comics back in 2007 when he was still a Senator. Then, during the 2008 elections, he was endorsed by Image Comics’ Savage Dragon on an issue cover with the Dragon himself supporting his nomination. And, post-election, when one of his advisors mentioned in an interview that Obama collected Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian, Marvel Comics obliged him with a visit from Peter Parker in The Amazing Spiderman No. 583 in a story titled “Spidey meets the President!”
The latter cue of the savage barbarian was picked up by Devil’s Due Publishing who started the Barack the Barbarian mini-series in 2009. As you may have guessed from the title, the series features Obama in the titular role as a scantily clad muscle-bound axe-wielding sword-swinging barbarian. He’s Barack of Shikhago, who came to the corrupt land of Warshingtun on a mule and defeated the evil rulers to restore the land to its previous glory.
Image credit: Devil’s Due Publishing
Part political satire, the stories are based on the highlights of his political career and feature other characters including George Bush (Boosh the Dim), Sarah Palin (Red Sarah), and Dick Cheney (Cha-nee) as antagonists. So, as adventure stories, they make for pretty boring reading (do you really want to read a plot around health reform), but evaluate it as a propaganda tool, and you’ll see its true worth.
Political campaigns usually center on mass media with every last cent being poured into television and newspaper campaigns, ignoring new and niche media that doesn’t necessarily target their voters directly. Yet, in the 2008 elections, it was Obama’s digital campaign that made him much more popular among the younger voters than McCain – whose online presence was relatively negligible. Some said that it made a crucial difference to his win that year. Whatever the case, his opponents noticeably wizened up this year.
When the comics on him first came out, many questioned the wisdom of using comics as propaganda. But Obama has successfully introduced (if not endeared) himself to a younger generation. And while some of them may not be old enough to vote, what they can do is ‘talk’ about him – even if it’s just to say that there’s a comic book out on him. How many politicians out there can claim that sort of popularity?
Perhaps now we’ll see more politicians in comic books.
The life-blood of our democracy is a covenant, a pact between elector and elected that the quid pro quo for the vote is service to the constituency. The quality of that service is an important (but not the only) factor in an MP’s re-election. This is the one big check that keeps a MP on some sort of practical leash.The relationship between MP and voter can, thereby, be officially abandoned. This should make party bosses delirious.
The irony is that such flaws can be easily corrected, with some time and thought. Both have been absent from the process. The pro-reservation lobbies have employed hustle topped off by self-congratulation; those opposed think that explosions constitute an argument.
The former worked through cheerleaders in the media; the latter played to galleries beyond the media, and did so effectively. Muhyiddin Yassin began to waver when the message from the second horizon began to permeate back to VOTERSi. The government was indifferent to the threat from political parties, but it could not remain immune to a threat from the voter is powerful and necessary objective, but the route map should be navigated with care.
the episode mirrors similar rows over perceived “parachuting” of candidates favoured by Muhyiddin Yassin into plum seats,
A parachute candidate LIKE Noor Mohamad Yacop is a candidate which a political party recruits to run in an electoral district for any of several reasons: that party ..
Everybody is talking about how to fight election and win. So they suggest they must have winnable candidates, the right strategy, understand your opponents, stay united, obey and respect your leaders’ decision, and never sabotage your comrades. Look, these are just pomp. It is time for you to spare for a moment to gauge what the rakyat need and how the government under your charge is meeting those needs. It is time for you to assess whether your policies are working or not. It is time for you to critically examine the performance of your cabinet ministers, the civil service, the GLCs and the statutory bodies under their charge.
Enthusiasm is no substitute for clarity. The flaws in Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin’S statment the “Seven Commandments of Victory for BN”, first of dictates that the grassroots must not to dispute BN’s candidates list. the Grassroots told not to dispute candidates list are not in the laudable intention but in the clogged delivery. The desire to be politically correct has overtaken the imperative to be politically sensible. Method and order, the favourite weapons of Hercule Poirot, might be usefully employed in analysis.
Why do the ? Taken purely as a demographic identity, they constitute the most powerful force in electoral politics. Every voter is a IMPORTANT.. Theory, alas, tends to have a cool, or even antagonistic, relationship with real life. Mahathir and Muhyiddin Yassin accused of manipulating the selection process for parliamentary candidates.The basis on which a candidate is chosen, by any party, can be described in a single, if ungainly, word: winnability.
Brother killing a brother, or for that matter, many brothers, was the basis of many an empire in history. Fratricide is reported as the first type of murder in human history by the Bible and the Quran. Of the two sons of Adam and Eve, Cain was the first human born and also the first murderer who killed his brother Abel, the first human to die. Mughal emperors routinely killed their brothers in their fight for the throne; King Asoka too killed all his brothers. It was an established practice in the Ottoman Empire to kill all the Sultan’s brothers as soon as he produced a male heir. Rome was founded after Romulus killed his brother Remus.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the story of a young prince demented by his father’s murder by his brother Claudius, who then marries the king’s widow. Money, power or romantic liaisons have been the cause, and jealousy the motivating factor behind cases of fratricide. If in barbarian times, kings killed to get their way, today in ostensibly more civilized times, rich businessmen cut each other out and break off ties with brothers in a more restrained manner, until an incident like Ponty-Hardeep strips the civilized veneer to expose the fundamental emotions that still rage within.
Brother killing brother is a parent’s worst nightmare, and yet it is parents who are responsible for laying the foundation of the relationship siblings share as they grow up. What parents do to promote harmony, and to discourage sibling rivalry, is vital to how sibling relationships will play out later. Parents need to be aware that they have to play an active role to this end, and not just let relationships drift! Feelings of insecurity and jealousy are natural amongst siblings. An insensitive and unthinking response from parents can tilt the balance to a lifetime of rivalry and dislike. Scolding and humiliating one child for hurting or showing down a sibling will only entrench such behaviour. It is better to understand the child’s insecurity and address the issue by giving equal time and importance to both children.
Sometimes in order to inculcate discipline, parents compare one child to another, which is unforgivable! Never praise a child at the expense of another. Children should be taught to respect each other’s differences, strengths and weaknesses and actively taught anger management. Inculcate family values, the importance of togetherness and loving each other. They should be told that friends may come and go, but siblings are forever and a great support system when things go wrong. Children should be taught to stand up for each other and to share in each other’s successes and failures.
Introduce certain family practices such as dinner together at the same table, celebrating festivals together, praying together or a nightly family gossip session. It could be something as simple as a drive for ice cream every Sunday, or sitting around a bonfire on winter weekend nights, or playing scrabble, dumb charades, chess, whatever! Habits die hard and these moments of togetherness are what cement love and relationships in later years. In moments of stress between siblings, an old habit or memory could help bring back the shared warmth and love of childhood.
Especially for privileged families, it is very important to teach children values that too much money and power may lead them to forget in the later years. They have to be taught at an early age that they have special duties and responsibilities because they are privileged. Children must be taught the importance of giving back and sharing. Being made aware of the lesser-privileged classes and the importance of charity work is important to keep them grounded. Parents must be especially careful to drive home to children the importance of love and relationships and the transience of life and material possessions; of the criticality of keeping in touch with one’s own true self, and being true to your loved ones as well!
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