Gua Musang kickstarts reform agenda with EGM

The Gua Musang Umno division is holding its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today with the hope that more divisions will follow suit to put pressure on the party leadership to hold a special meeting this May.
The whole idea of the party's EGM is to discusss the Barisan Nasional's poor performance in the March 8 general election.
In its EGM today, the Gua Musang division, headed by former Umno vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, also wants Umno's nomination quota system for candidates aspiring to contest top leadership posts in the party to be abolished.
The abolition of the quota system would make it easier for Tengku Razaleigh to challenge Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in the party polls this December.
Tengku Razaleigh, also the Gua Musang member of Parliament, has offered to contest for the top post so that he could “heal the party” following its worst defeat in the general election.
He told Bernama yesterday that he was confident the people would support him in his quest to bring about the change they desire in the country.
He added that he had weighed carefully about offering himself to fill a "leadership vacuum" in the country as the people were yearning for "firm and effective leadership".
He said that with his vast experience in government and politics, he would be able to put the country "back on the right track".
Beware of total rejection
On a related matter, former premier and Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad also said that it was important for the party to hold an EGM for the well-being of the party as well as to discuss the party's poor performance during the last general election.
He also reiterated that the EGM could be used to discuss amendments to the party constitution, especially on the matter of abolishing its nomination quota system.
He added that the removal of the quota system would allow members to contest top party posts at the Annual General meeting (AGM) in December without having to secure the minimum nominations as stipulated at present.
"If we disregard Umno members views and arrogantly dismiss their demands it might lead to a total rejection of Umno especially if the opposition alliance show they can provide better governance.
“If something is not done, my fear is that Umno may lose out completely.
"If we believe in the well-being of the people and being transparent, there is nothing better we can do than to respond to their demands," he told reporters last night in a function in Hulu Langat, Selangor.
President under pressure to quit
Abdullah has been put under tremendous pressure by several party veterans who have openly called for Abdullah’s resignation to assume responsibility for the BN's dismal showing in the general election.
Abdullah had vowed to continue leading the party and country, saying that he had the mandate from the people to lead.
The quota system, introduced by Mahathir, is in place to protect the top leaders from being challenged during party polls. Under the system, a challenger would need about 58 nominations to contest for the president’s post and 38 nominations for the deputy president’s post.
In 2004, Tengku Razaleigh received only one nomination - from his Gua Musang division - when he opted to challenge Abdullah for the top post. This time around he is confident of receiving the required numbers, paving way for a tight contest in December.
However his call for the EGM to discuss the general election routing and the removal of the quota system is seen by political observers as a back up plan to make it easier for him to contest in the event he fails to get the minimum nominations.
Traditionally Umno president also assumes the prime minister’s post.
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The Gua Musang division today unanimously passed a resolution calling for an EGM to be held in May to discuss the party’s poor performance in the recently held general election.

Ku Li: Purge the 'bad and corrupt' to save Umno
Umno can only be saved if the "bad, corrupt, uncultured, immoral and unwise" people at the top are purged, said party veteran and Gua Musang Umno division chairperson Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today.
In his opening speech at the Gua Musang Umno division’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM), the 72-year-old former finance minister also launched a very thinly-veiled attack against Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
"There are those who graduate from Oxford, Harvard and so forth. But are not intelligent, not wise and culturally illiterate. Such people are not qualified to be Umno leaders.
"Why? Because they don’t possess enough ‘Malay spirit’ in their hearts, are not wise and do not excel in speaking or explaining (issues) to the people.
"They are probably qualified to be academic researchers, but not leaders for the Malay-Muslim race," he said.
Khairy is the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and is said to wield great influence over his father-in-law.
Numerous quarters, including former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have blamed the 32-year-old Oxford graduate and his associates in the ‘fourth floor’ of providing ill advice to Abdullah, culminating in Umno and Barisan Nasional’s worst ever election showing in history on March 8.
Open reflection needed
Bemoaning the crumbling of the Umno and BN fortresses in, what he termed as a "political disaster," Tengku Razaleigh pointed out that the top leadership has yet to initiate any action to discuss why this turn of events took place.
"There has been no effort to invite Umno delegates from all levels to have an open reflection - one that is critical but calm, matured, rational and not emotional..."
Such a move, he said, would help the party find ways to repair itself and prevent a disaster of an even greater magnitude in future.
"We have been hearing all sorts of reaction, views and concerns, criticisms and accusations from individuals in Umno, most of it coming from certain leaders and ministers in Umno. Some are saying that we did not lose, we won. Some also say ‘BN will rise again to redeem itself’.
"There are those who blame the Malays for choosing another party and say that they are ‘not grateful’ (I don’t know to whom and for what). There are those who blame the young generation for purportedly ‘not understanding the Umno struggle) or for not getting true news, information and stories about the government, Umno and BN via the mainstream media but (choosing instead) to read it in ‘anti-government’ and ‘anti-Umno’ blogs."
Tengku Razaleigh said this reflected the old culture of not wanting to examine own mistakes but rather shifting the blame to others, such as the voters and the opposition.
"The party leaders, but not all, try to stifle the voices of the grassroots, not wanting to listen to their views and criticism. We go to and from to spread the propaganda and myth that the grassroots must leave all the problems to the top leaders, otherwise the party will be affected.
"Don’t they realise that the biggest weakness in Umno which led to the political disaster is not the grassroots but the top leaders, including the Umno ministers, some of whom do not have good records, morals or culture.
"These are the people who do not want Umno to change, they are the ones who want the Umno leadership to remain, not be replaced or contested against."
Tengku Razaleigh said the problems in Umno do not only concern a few, but all of its members.
"Umno is not an exclusive club for the elites and businessmen. Umno is a Malay national party. Its role is not to protect the rice bowl of the top leadership."
The veteran leader also likened Umno to a battered ship which could sink at any moment because of its weak captain, "a captain who often leaves the control of the vessel in the hands of the crew."
According to Tengku Razaleigh, Umno is facing an ‘emergency’ and this must be tackled swiftly before it spreads and destroys whatever that has been built since 1946.
"The people of today are different from those 30 or 40 years ago. Their hopes are different from that of their parents. Their hopes are not similar to the hopes of their parents or grandparents. Umno must continue to remain relevant to the people’s ambitions, hopes and demands," he said.
Democracy must return
To rectify the situation, Tengku Razaleigh said democracy must return to Umno whereby the 30 percent nomination quota requirement should be abolished.
"Every time the party elections come, there are certain people or groups who tell members that the positions of president, deputy president, women’s chief and youth chief should not be challenged.
"They have no right to do this, it is the members’ right to choose the leaders they want from the grassroots level to the president."
He also said that the party must control the government and not the other way around. "Umno members who hold party positions cannot be more powerful than the party. The party is the one which must control, monitor and evaluate their performance."
"If they introduce policies which are against the party’s policies, they must be questioned by the Umno supreme council. The logic is simple. The prime minister, deputy prime minister and other ministers from Umno will not be holding these posts if they were not picked by party members.
"Even if the prime minister introduces and implements a policy which could destroy the Malay language or Islam, he must be reprimanded and be disciplined by the party."
On that note, Tengku Razaleigh said the policies and visions of Umno must transcend racial boundaries and the party must not be seen as serving the interests of the Malays alone.
"We want Umno to become a supra-ethnic party, a national party which is fair to all while at the same time keeping in line with its ‘traditional vision’, which is to defend the motherland from the political, economical, ideological and cultural colonisation of foreign powers."
Change negative images
Razaleigh divided the perception of Umno into three categories.
From the Malay viewpoint, he said, the party is seen as no longer struggling for Malay rights and is not concerned about the Malay language, culture and the economic well-being of the poor in the community.
Apart from this, he said, the Malays are also concerned over the lack of commitment in Umno to defend the dignity and sovereignty of the Malay royal institution.
As for the non-Malays, Tengku Razaleigh - in an obvious reference to Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein - said: "Umno is seen as a party made up of ‘Malay fanatics’ who, for unknown reasons, like to brandish the keris when scolding other races."
The third perception, according to him, is that Umno is a party which encouraged money politics or an entity which is ‘rich at the top and poor at the bottom’.
"A party which is corrupt, infested with ‘buaya darat’ (land dwelling crocodiles) and ‘yu-yu laut’ (sharks) who have no qualms about sweeping up and swallowing projects and government contracts as well as the rights of the poor of all races.
"This image is hated by all races, not only the Malays," said the former Umno vice-president.
Tengku Razaleigh said Umno must change or cleanse itself of these negative images. "The party must be trusted by the Malays and non-Malays alike," he added.
Arrogant Umno candidates
Tengku Razaleigh also noted that in the recently concluded elections, many Chinese and Indians were seen flying the PAS flag and had voted for the Islamic party’s candidates in Umno strongholds.
"Why? Have they been put under a spell or Islamicised by PAS people? No. They did it because they believe that PAS, based on Islamic principles, is fairer than Umno to non-Malays.
"They say PAS people fear God, so they are afraid to tell lies or commit sin against God’s creations, regardless of race and religion. They say (PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar) Tok Guru Nik Abdul Aziz is better, cleaner and more trustworthy than most of the Umno Kelantan leaders."
In the polls, BN failed to wrest Kelantan from PAS and lost four additional states to the opposition.
Meanwhile, Tengku Razaleigh also criticised the arrogant behaviour of several Umno candidates during the general election.
"They were arrogant and talked big. One Umno parliamentary candidate told the media that his objective is to ensure that his contender loses his deposit. This (Umno) candidate suffered a terrible defeat, the Malay voters taught him (a lesson).
"In Kelantan, we heard about how a parliamentary candidate close to the top powers in KL used rude words against PAS, especially Nik Aziz.
"In fact, the entire Umno machinery (in the state) was moved to launch a ‘crusade-like attack’ against PAS. The style was similar to what (George W) Bush is doing to Islamic countries.
"I understand that PAS is Umno’s rival. But this is not the way Malay-Muslims try to defeat their rivals from the same race and religion. We were not taught how to entice the enemy. We appeared to be using the culture and tactics or gangsters.
"In the end, we lost. Not because Umno policies are not good, but because Umno people are not good and they are the ones who ruined the party’s image."
'Spirit of the stomach'
Tengku Razaleigh said this increasingly rude behaviour stemmed from several factors, among them, being overconfident of the party’s strength.
Secondly, he said, the market economy or capitalistic economy has become an Umno political tool to enrich certain people in the party, for the benefit of the leadership and not the people at large or the party grassroots.
"The Malay spirit in Umno people has been replaced with the ‘spirit of the stomach’. Money has become the political plaything and power in Umno."
In summing up his speech, Tengku Razaleigh said it is because of the abovementioned reasons that he is pushing for an Umno EGM to be held at the national level before the party’s annual general assembly, which will also witness the party polls, takes place from Dec 16-20.
"We don’t want the delegates coming to the assembly in the same old mould, not knowing what are the weaknesses and problems in Umno and thus electing, or being told to elect, the same weak leaders.
"If that is to happen, I am worried that a bigger disaster would be in store for us."

tunku : when will other divisions follows the gua musang's division resolution.when can't waste our time now.egm must be held in may.