A TWO-DAY CRUISE TO NOWHERE

In formulating any effective strategies, there must be realistic goals. In the UMNO MT two day retreat proposed at Shah Alam this week end, the objective is strategizing towards enhancing support for the Party.

Let’s revisit some possible key reasons for loss of support

i) The vast majority of the population including UMNO grassroots has no or little confidence with the ultra weak top leadership and the state of poor governance. PM and the 1^st Family, his close advisers and inner circle have been long perceived as pursuing their personal vested interest instead that of the masses. The1^st Family and the inner circles’ over indulgence and SIL obvious interference in the strategic affairs of the nation have caused much anxiety and haplessness amongst the majority populace.

ii) PM’s agenda of liberal and populist reforms have yet to be accepted by UMNO members as well as the public but appear to appeal to the certain minority groups and Opposition parties. Such reforms were pushed though without much thought about their ramifications on the very fabric of society. The perception remains that these reforms were initiated to demonize and punish Tun M while at the same time regain the support of the public. In effect the reforms are poised to dismantle all Tun M had put in place which the Silent Majority has been generally comfortable with. At the present moment, nobody seemed to recognize the country anymore. The populace’s anger and distrust swells and as a consequence, the biggest casualty is the BN Government.

PM and the 1^st Family grossly failed to anticipate the impact of the changes via the reforms; people generally fear change, what more with the influx of changes tainted with ill intentions via the multiple reforms. Such initiations of change could only be initiated by immature and incompetent people in a hurry having total disrespect and disregard of the country’s history, harmony and accepted norms. Mistakes are continuously being made and repeated by the administration’s Flip Flop and self deluding visions to indoctrinate an imprudent legacy.

iii) The uncertainty in the global economy, its financial volatility together with the recent rise of basic world commodities will indeed have dire consequences the livelihood of the people especially the lower income group once the subsidies are lifted. Whatever incredible steps that the Government initiates to remarkably assist and benefit the lower income group is not expected to help improve the people’s sentiment towards UMNO and BN. The lower income group will continue despising UMNO because UMNO is perceived as a rich man’s party. With utter disgust these people will view the top echelons in UMNO being rich due the contracts from the Government and by their plundering of the Nation’s wealth while they have to slough. Instead these people would be more sympathetic to the Opposition who too has to slough like them for a living. It is no easy task to change such inherent and skeptical perceptions even with much SPIN.

iv) Unlike previous administrations, the present leadership is seen not having cordial relationship with the Rulers via the Perlis and Trengganu MB (including the Wang Ehsan money) cases etc. With the formation of the appointment of Judiciary Appointment Council, the rulers’ powers are partly diminished. The ridiculous exhumation of the 20 year old dead Tun Salleh Abas case has resulted in exposing the then Agong’s hand in the matter. The ramification from the Tun Salleh Abas case, the ex-gratia payments and the Wang Ehsan are far from over. In the Lingam Video Tape case, the perception that a Royal Commission was conducted to serve self serving interest has the people pondering about its truthfulness is another instance of rampant abuse of power.

In the use of the name Allah by the Church, the Government’s solicitors did not put forth a serious challenge perhaps similarly the reason for the country’s “lost” of Pulau Batu Putih. Fortunately the Muslims’ cause is now taken up by The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) and the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Custom Council (MAIAMP). A big No Thank You from the country’s staunch Muslims to PM. PM is seen as dayus in this case. More Islamic/ Muslim intellectuals, authorities and NGO should come forward in support of MAIWP and MAIAMP. Perhaps in a massive show of solidarity with MAIWP and MAIAMP, on one particular Friday prayers, a nation wide sermon should be devoted for the entire Ummah to pray for the success of this intervention in avoiding a grave mistake from happening.

For a constitutional monarchy system to function, the Rulers and the Executive will have to work amicably with each other.

v) Within the Party, due the forthcoming UMNO elections, there is a culmination in infighting and bickering for which potentially the winner takes all and the vanquished perishes for the next 4 years. For a host of reasons (money politics, yes men syndrome, shoddy ministerial appointments, instruments of fear and oppression against dissent, voting rules and restrictions, abolishment of Tun’s project and in replace thereof the many corridors eg IR etc) in addition to those listed above, the grassroots continues to be restless and troubled with the existing establishment. The imminent acceptance of ex-PKR boys into the nucleus of the Party is being forced through in the manner consistent with precedent - initiated with much secrecy within a small exclusive inner circle. The entry is seen from a negative light as a conspiracy involving certain powerful people to desperately safeguard their selfish political survival. The exit by Tun was mind boggling to grass roots but has generated greater awareness on the shortfalls of the leadership. Further confrontation from Tun is anticipated for which the eventual impact is likely to “split” the party. Disarray in the Party further exacerbates and SPIN becomes the game plan (throw away the P and it becomes SIN). What has come of UMNO – a party for the people or for certain individuals, as clearly pointed out by Tun?

vi) A crucial factor for any strategy to crystallize is effective communicating and convincing the target audiences. PM heads a leadership so grossly weak and apprehensive perhaps out of its own apparent incompetence and faults. Information/ news of political intricacies are readily available and distributed via new mediums mostly assessable to the urbanites but less so in rural areas. However spin-offs from the urbanites to their friends, relatives and others in the rural areas are eventually facilitated by the other easy means of communication.

An environment infested with negative rumors prevails as PM and the leadership failed miserably to refute various allegations. PM is known to shy away from the press as well as inter-acting with his crucial electorates and grassroots and even when he does, it’s short one way traffic with prepared text and without any feedback; worse he apparently is seen to look to the person on his left for reference. Similarly, with PM’s key supporters who remain defensive and detrimentally perpetuating the denial syndrome. Those UMNO members who are able to touch base with grassroots are because of one common factor - disgust for the leadership. But they are hindered from integrating with the populace by their inaction and embarrassment in defending the weak leadership. Such gaps between UMNO and the electorates have been immensely capitalized by the Opposition. How often do we hear UMNO politicians coming forward to interact with electorates? People like SIL should not visible any more lest he be hounded and pelted with stones (like at 3 idols at Mina) in public, literally speaking.

Let us be realistic, the lack of confidence point to one source that is the weak leadership and its poor governance. The rest are subservient or secondary. To repair the ship (UMNO & BN) without considering the impact of the negative perception of the people would be a non-starter. The meeting should take the bull by the horns by removing the source, only then can effective strategies be worked out. There are indeed several senior capable UMNO leaders ready to fill the slot. The transition will not solve the country’s woes overnight but is indeed a gigantic step forward in regaining people’s confidence. If the goal of the meeting is to consciously discard such reality, then any strategies developed will falter soon after implementation. The MT retreat will be as good as taking “a two-day cruise to nowhere” and based on precedence, that will be where the MT is heading –NOWHERE. In the mean time the protest block of the Silent Majority gets ever bigger and louder.