tumpang sekole...?: Tanpa kuasa dan duit UMNO mati akai...

Selamat Hari Malaysia...

Sekarang terdengar cakap-cakap bahawa para pembesar Umno, dengan diketuai oleh Presiden mereka, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, terhegeh-hegeh mencari rakan baru setelah ditendang keluar oleh rakyat jelata pada 9 Mei lalu. Jadi menang betul lah cerita yang tersebar di media tradisional dan media sosial mengenai saki-baki Umno akan bergabung dengan parti-parti lain dalam usaha untuk kembali berkuasa.

Secara tidak rasmi ia telah pun mula bekerjasama dengan PAS. Tapi ini nampaknya tidak memuaskan mereka kerana PAS juga di pihak yang kalah. Perkongsian mereka tidak cukup untuk menubuhkan kerajaan campuran di peringkat pusat dan telah ditolak dalam beberapa pilihan raya kecil. Setelah empat bulan menjadi pembangkang, Umno mendapati keadaan itu tidak tertanggung olehnya.

Ini adalah kerana ia terlalu biasa dengan kuasa dan duit, khususnya pada zaman “Cash is King”. Tanpa kuasa dan wang Umno mendapati sukar untuk hidup. PAS pun tidak ada kuasa dan tidak ada duit. Malah khabarnya kerajaan-kerajaan negeri di bawah Umno dan PAS hendak bayar gaji kakitangan awam mereka pun tidak mampu kalau tidak dibantu oleh kerajaan pusat. Inilah bahana tidak dengar cakap dan terlalu yakin kepada bisikan-bisikan palsu penjilat dan pengampu. Kerana dedak, mulut jadi busu, mata jadi buta dan telinga jadi pekak.

Pemujaan Yang Merosakkan

Kalaulah tiga, empat tahun lalu Umno dengar cakap sebahagian ahlinya sendiri dan singkirkan Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, rasanya nasib Umno tidak seburuk sekarang. Malah ada pemerhati dan penganalisis politik berpendapat kalau menjelang pilihan raya umum (PRU) lalu Mohd Najib mengundurkan diri, Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak akan kalah dan Pakatan Harapan (PH) hanya boleh berpuas hati menjadi pembangkang.

Tetapi ini cara Allah SWT menyelamatkan negara kita Malaysia iaitu dengan tidak membuka hati Najib untuk mengundurkan diri dan tidak memberi kejantanan kepada para pembesar Umno untuk menyuruh beliau berundur. Dengan kekalahan Umno/BN maka terdedahlah kerosakan dahsyat yang Najib serta konco dan konspirator beliau lakukan ke atas ekonomi dan institusi negara.

Kalau ditakdirkan BN menang, segala kejahatan dan kerosakan ini akan berterusan dan disembunyikan daripada pengetahuan umum. Hutang negara terus menggunung dan secara sistematik Malaysia akan tergadai kepada kuasa-kuasa asing. Sekarang Umno umpama anak ayam kehilangan ibu – kesejukan, kelaparan dan ketakutan. Ke sana sini mencari tempat berlindung.

Baru-baru ini beberapa orang ketua mereka - termasuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi - telah menemui Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dalam kapasiti beliau sebagai Pengerusi Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) untuk “berbincang”. Khabarnya, mereka tidak lagi bercakap mengenai Umno tetapi Pekembar. Pekembar adalah singkatan kepada nama bahasa Melayu bagi Umno iaitu Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Bersatu.

Konon cerita, mereka mahu meninjau kemungkinan menggabungkan Pekembar dengan Bersatu (PPBM) menjadi Pekembar Bersatu. Melaluinya mereka berharap menjadi sebahagian daripada kerajaan PH. Itu cerita lah! Masuk akal. Tapi masakan PPBM yang sudah pun menganggotai PH mahu atau boleh bergabung dengan Umno/Pekembar. PPBM tentulah faham muslihat Umno itu. Ini mungkin cara Umno memecahbelahkan PH dengan harapan ia akan kembali berkuasa.

Pendirian PPBM jelas. Ahli Umno dialu-alukan menyertai PPBM . Tetapi mereka hendaklah menyertainya sebagai individu dan ahli biasa. Mereka tidak boleh masuk berkumpulan sebagai cawangan atau bahagian. Mereka masuk sebagai ahli biasa dan kalau bercita-cita hendak memimpin mereka perlulah melakukannya dalam kerangka PPBM. Majoriti ahli Umno dialu-alukan. Tetapi tentulah ada segelintir yang tidak akan diterima kerana imej mereka yang buruk dan amalan mereka yang menyalahi undang-undang.

Ramai Akan Sertai Najib

Ini mengingatkan saya kepada makluman Perdana Menteri semalam bahawa Polis, SPRM dan Pusat Governans, Integriti dan Anti-Rasuah Nasional (GIACC) kini semakin cergas menyiasat dan mengambil tindakan ke atas kes berkaitan skandal 1MDB. Perkembangan ini sangat melegakan kerana sebelum ini terdengar cakap-cakap bahawa tiga agensi penting ini terlalu perlahan bertindak dan bertelingkah antara satu sama lain.

Keadaan berubah setelah ketiga-tiga mereka dipanggil menemui Perdana Menteri serentak baru-baru ini. Tidak syak lagi perkembangan yang menggembirakan ini akan berkesudahan dengan lebih ramai ketua-ketua Umno era Najib mengekori bos mereka ke muka pengadilan. Jadi secara tidak langsung proses pembersihan Umno sedang berlaku dan ini akan memudahkan kita membezakan di antara pertama dan kaca dalam pertubuhan itu.

Yang bersih atau yang tidak terlalu teruk kesalahan dan kesilapan mereka bolehlah diterima masuk ke dalam PPBM atau sebagai sekutu PH dalam Parlimen dan Dewan-dewan Undangan Negeri. Kemasukan mereka, sama ada secara langsung atau sebagai sekutu, boleh membantu kerajaan PH mendedahkan dan mengatasi pelbagai skandal dan kerosakan yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan BN. - A.Kadir Jasin

PD Move,it’s part of transition plan...

While some have voiced their opposition to the upcoming Port Dickson by-election, DAP political education director Liew Chin Tong said that the move was necessary to ensure stability within the Pakatan Harapan government.

In an interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, Liew said Pakatan Harapan had agreed that Anwar Ibrahim would succeed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and therefore securing the heir apparent's seat in Parliament would help quell uncertainty.

He stressed that a key component which led to Harapan's electoral success at the May 9 general elections was Mahathir and Anwar's decision to work together and forge a united opposition, and the duo must do the same now that they are part of the new government.

"I support Anwar's decision to contest in the by-election. Hopefully, more people will support him. I hope Anwar’s participation will stabilise the entire political scenario.

"When the prime minister succession plan between Mahathir and Anwar is firm, it will stabilise the government," said Liew, who is also the deputy defence minister.

Liew said critics must remember that Anwar could not participate in the May 9 elections because he was imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

Now that he has been granted a full pardon, he must be allowed to take his rightful place in Parliament again.

"If Anwar could return to Parliament, the cooperation between Mahathir and Anwar is sealed, and it will play an important role in stabilising the nation."

Potential power vacuum

Liew said that the thought of a potential power vacuum was not good for the country and sorting out the details on the transition is always better done sooner than later.

"Certainty helps us focus on reforming institutions, the economy and the second round of nation-building," he said.

PKR triggered the Port Dickson by-election on Wednesday following the resignation of Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, who stated that his reason for resigning was to force a by-election for Anwar to contest.

The move was heavily criticised by netizens and civil society groups, arguing that it was unnecessary and would be a waste of public resources.

Anwar has justified the move on grounds that he must get back to the legislature soon to help work on parliamentary reforms and assist Mahathir. - mk

Let the dust settle on PD Move...

I agree with Liew that in order for the transition of power from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to his appointed successor Anwar Ibrahim to take place smoothly, Anwar has to be elected in as a member of Parliament first.

I would say that the Port Dickson move is not only necessary, but also important. Like it or not, if it had been Edmund Santhara’s Segamat constituency, William Leong’s Selayang constituency or even Johari Abdul’s Sungai Petani constituency, the attack on Anwar’s move would be the same.

Even when Johari first volunteered his seat, he was attacked from all sides. There is no assurance, that even if it had been the Selayang or Segamat constituency, there would not be any form of attack against Anwar’s move. BN cybertroopers and propagandists are actively looking for any opportunity to attack. This is why we, as civilians, have to be watchful.

I do agree with former Bar Council chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan that if anyone were to let go their seats for Anwar, it should have been his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail or their daughter, Nurul Izzah.

However, one needs to understand that Wan Azizah is currently the deputy prime minister and the Pandan constituency which she holds is not easily winnable, given that Pandan has always been an MCA stronghold until 2013. By vacating her seat, she would have to immediately step down as deputy prime minister. My question is: What if Anwar does not win the Pandan seat?

As for Nurul Izzah who is holding on to Permatang Pauh, a constituency formerly held by Anwar, I cannot think of any good reason why she could not have vacated the seat except that she has built a strong bond with the constituents and Permatang Pauh voters did not want to be called upon again to participate in another election.

Whatever it is, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is 93 years old, and with due respect to his age, anything can happen to him. Assuming that he has to step down due to poor health, there would be a vacuum if Anwar is not ready to take his place.

Wan Azizah would not make a good prime minister given that, even on the issue of the much frowned-upon child marriage, she did not appear to be capable of making a good decision. Having Anwar back in Parliament would ensure that there is a smooth transition of power in the Pakatan Harapan government.

Unless one wishes to wait for a vacancy involving a lawmaker’s death, there is very little choice but for PKR to engineer a by-election for Anwar. With this, I hope some good sense will prevail eventually. For now, I would rather let the dust settle on the “Port Dickson move” and open the channel for Anwar to return to Parliament.

However, if Anwar continues to operate in the “Old Malaysia” mindset, we civilians will remind him that the victory was not won by a bunch of politicians, but by the people who voted for them. If today we can vote for Pakatan Harapan, tomorrow we can also throw them out. My only concern is that when that happens, the culprits behind the 1MDB scandal will go scot-free.

I hope that the opposition will start reforming itself instead of still playing the old politics of race, religion and royalty, which I see Anwar is in danger of reverting to after speaking out against it in the past. - Stephen Ng