Umno Delegates Need To Think Far Ahead When Choosing Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- In all actuality, the 2,500 delegates for this year's UMNO General Assembly face two fundamental options when deciding who should hold key positions in the party -- one, to pick those who can be of service to UMNO and non-UMNO people, in other words, the rakyat, and the other, to select those who could only be useful to their own circle of UMNO supporters.

To some, it might not be hard to decide if the delegates took into serious consideration the results of last year's general election, and the repeated calls for UMNO to take stock of the situation and to effect changes in view of the changing political scenario.
However, talk on the ground does show that some quarters in the party are still holding on to age-old perceptions and practices as they have yet to digest the stark reality in that the upcoming Umno's election is not just about themselves but the entire 27 million Malaysian population as well.
Such talk also hinted that these members are still very much mired in the self-gain and self-interest mode, and mindless of the recent devastating blow delivered to the party in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election.
It was as if that they had forgotten what the masses wanted.
"They haven't gotten into their heads that this party election is a 'do or die' mission for Umno. If they fail to elect the right candidates, I don't see a future for Umno in the next general election," a senior Umno leader said bluntly.
Expanding on the Kuala Terengganu's by-election's results, the leader said it was further proof that UMNO's choice of the candidate did not always reflect the people's choice.
"The late Datuk Razali Ismail was a case in point of the people's choice. Eventhough he didn't hold any post in the party at the UMNO division level, he managed to defend his Kuala Terengganu seat in the last general election while many others had failed," he said.
He had a point there as Razali was not even accepted by the majority of Kuala Terengganu UMNO division members to be their deputy chief in last year's divisional level elections.
So here lies this irony -- a person who may be accepted by a vast majority of the electorate but still shunned by party members because he or she does not have the means or muscle to "please" fellow party members.
Looking ahead, it would appear that UMNO members ignoring the changing political landscape would do so at the expense of the party in the long run.
Numerous calls had been made in the past months for UMNO delegates to choose wisely. As pointed by many, UMNO is in dire need to be helmed by leaders and politicians who can command support and respect from most Malaysians.
This is because some of these elected UMNO leaders will be part of the government machinery that will rule the country for another four years or so.
Against this backdrop is also the probability that Malaysia is going to face its worst global economic crisis.
"So, ask yourself what do you want? You want a leader who can only talk or one that can deliver? To do this, you have to see the track records of the candidates," said a division chief.
He, however, admits that it is an uphill task to convince the "traditionalists" in UMNO to change their mindsets as they constantly insist on familiarity as well as likeability.
"But all is not lost. In my experience, many of the delegates will change their minds as the time draws nearer because it also depends on last-minute campaigning too," he said.
As for Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim, he lists two main criteria for the delegates to consider before making their decisions.
"In times like this, UMNO has no choice but to go with leaders with integrity and credibility," he said pointing out to the fact that the party was now perceived as having been tainted with corruption through the actions of some members.
Echoing the sentiments of a number of other political analysts, Khoo said the failure to elect clean and capable leaders would sound the death knell for UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN).
An UMNO politician who last attended the previous party election agreed that the burden on the shoulders of this year's delegates is much heavier as they also need to send strong signals that the party had learnt its lesson and should be in the process of changing for the better.
"All eyes will be on this year's UMNO election, irrespective whether they are supporters of UMNO or not. They will want to see if UMNO walks the talk, that is, in cleaning up the party," said Azrin Zizal Abdul Aziz.
If opinion polls conducted by various institutions are to be believed, then the public has already indicated their preferred choice of leaders while feedback from among UMNO members indicate that their picks are the worthy ones for UMNO and the country's future.
Unfortunately, the public and some three million UMNO members are not going to be in the Merdeka Hall of the Putra World Trade Centre to cast their votes next week.
The future is in the hands of 2,500 people who have an important responsibility ahead of them.
As some say, every Tom, Dick and Harry can throw in their two sen worth of opinions, but in the end it is up to these delegates, known as the "G6" or "G7", who will decide on the fate of the political aspirants.

from chedet.co.cc

PEMILIHAN MAJLIS TERTINGGI UMNO By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on March 21, 2009 3:00 PM
1. Perhatian rakyat Malaysia terutama orang Melayu ialah kepada peristiwa-peristiwa yang sedang berlaku dalam UMNO. Samada mereka ahli atau bukan ahli mereka tahu UMNO memainkan peranan yang besar dalam kehidupan mereka, dalam maju mundurnya Negara mereka.
2. Apa yang mereka lihat sehingga kini tidak menyenangkan hati mereka akan keupayaan UMNO dikekalkan.
3. UMNO yang telah perintah Negara ini dengan baik selama 50 tahun sekarang dilihat sebagai parti yang tidak bermaya.
4. Dalam hanya lima tahun dibawah pimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, parti UMNO sudah rosak dan menjadi amat lemah. Seiring dengan kelemahan parti, Kerajaan juga menjadi lemah dan kehidupan rakyat sudah tidak lagi sempurna.
5. Sekarang Abdullah berjanji akan letak jawatan pada hujung bulan ini dan Dato Seri Najib Razak akan mengambil alih jawatan Perdana Menteri. Apakah Najib akan dapat memulihkan UMNO sehingga jadi kuat semula? Ini menjadi satu tanda tanya.
6. Apa yang berlaku dalam proses pemilihan kepimpinan tidak menjadi petanda yang baik. Parti UMNO sudah jadi parti perasuah. Samada ahli atau pemimpin, semuanya utamakan kepentingan diri.
7. Sepatutnya pemilihan pemimpin yang baru akan meyakinkan rakyat yang UMNO bersedia untuk membasmi gejala rasuah. Tetapi yang berlaku menunjuk yang UMNO tidak mempedulikan pemulihan parti dan pencapaian kemenangan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13. Yang diutamakan ialah untuk menjadi pemimpin UMNO dengan apa cara sekalipun. Harapan mereka jika jadi pemimpin UMNO akan dapat jadi Menteri dan dapat kontrak dan lain-lain nikmat untuk diri sendiri.
8. Ternampak jelas yang pencalonan ahli-ahli Majlis Tertinggi yang dibuat oleh bahagian adalah hasil sogokan. Ramai yang dicalon diketahui umum telah beli undi. Dengan itu peluang pertama untuk memulih imej parti dikalangan rakyat sudah gagal kerana bahagian-bahagian utamakan sogokan. Peluang kedua untuk memulih imej parti juga tidak direbut. Sebenarnya Lembaga Disiplin dan Tribunal yang ditugas untuk membicara dan menghukum calon-calon yang dituduh terlibat dengan rasuah telah tidak menggunakan tugas mereka untuk memperbaiki imej parti. Sebaliknya Tribunal membuat keputusan yang menunjuk ia tidak bersungguh untuk menghukum mereka yang diketahui terlibat dengan rasuah. Dengan itu imej parti tidak terpulih dan menjadi lebih buruk.
9. Sekarang datang pula peranan para wakil untuk memulih imej parti dengan menolak calon yang dikenali mengguna wang untuk undi calon. Jika mereka tolak calon-calon ini, mereka akan sedikit sebanyak memulih imej parti dan kemungkinan parti akan menang dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.
10. Tetapi oleh kerana keputusan Tribunal membolehkan calon-calon yang diketahui korup bertanding, perwakilan mungkin akan pilih mereka ini untuk menganggotai Majlis Tertinggi. Apabila ini berlaku imej parti akan jadi lebih buruk dan besar kemungkinan parti akan dikalahkan dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.
11. Tetapi terdapat satu lagi peluang untuk imej parti dipulih. Apabila Kerajaan baru dibentuk oleh Dato Seri Najib, beliau boleh menolak pemimpin-pemimpin yang menang kerana rasuah daripada menganggotai Kabinet dan lain-lain jawatan Kerajaan pimpinannya. Jika sebaliknya Najib melantik orang yang diketahui menang kerana rasuah ke dalam Kerajaannya maka akan termusnahlah kepercayaan rakyat kepada Najib dan Kerajaannya. Tidak syak lagi yang UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan kalah teruk dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.
12. Saya percaya Dato Seri Abdullah akan paksa Najib pilih orang tertentu untuk jadi Menteri Kabinet Najib. Kita tahu sangat keinginan orang ini menjadi Perdana Menteri termuda. Sebenarnya kalau pun dia menang, penyertaannya dalam Kerajaan akan menyebabkan pengundi tolak Barisan Nasional dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13. Apatah lagi jika dia kalah dan masih lagi dapat tempat dalam Kerajaan.
13. Jika Dato Seri Najib memilih perasuah dan orang tertentu dalam Kerajaan pimpinannya, UMNO akan kalah dan terus hancur. Najib akan tinggal legasi sebagai pembunuh UMNO yang dihidupkan oleh ayahnya.
14. Ahli-ahli UMNO harus ingat tidak ada gunanya menjadi pemimpin UMNO, menjadi Presiden UMNO pun jika BN kalah dan tidak dapat tubuh Kerajaan.
15. Orang Melayu akan kutuk mereka yang telah hancurkan UMNO kerana mereka tamak dan mengkhianati bangsa dan negara.

tunku : we hope the delegates won't let MALAYSIAN down not only umno members but MALAYSIAN. think about the 27million people out there when deciding, not yourself or your group.though many has said that umno has come to dead end etc, there is still bright future for umno and it can shine like it has never been provided what is said above taken into consideration.it is up to the delegates now.