No less than UMNO veteran and foreign minister Rais Yatim has confimed that "the majority" of UMNO members were more interested in making money out of the election than in voting for the right person. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here). He said he had been asked to pay for votes in an upcoming contest for top posts, and warned that money politics would destroy the organisation.
So what else is new.
"The majority of UMNO people want to look for money and not for good leaders," said Rais, a member of UMNO's decision-making committee who is vying for the vice-presidency. ""We have been approached under the cloak of assistance and cloak of contribution. (But) I'm not a player so you don't see my marks going up very high," he told reporters.
In other words, if you dont want to play ball, you can kiss the VP post goodbye. This really doesnt say much about the leadership, eh wot?
Rais, who has been with UMNO for over 33 years, said money politics within the ruling party should be eradicated or it will "surely kill the party." He adds, "If UMNO cannot curb this practice, UMNO's future is done for because this has been (talked about) for the past two decades and it has not been curbed."
Well, since no one seems to be doing anything about this, I am all for "curbing" this corrupt party before it drags down the whole country into deep shit.
Meanwhile, the Star online also reports, here, that Rais told reporters that “If the scourge should take further hold in the party, it would be just better for UMNO to have a tender system so that anyone who contributes the highest amount can be a leader!”
Sheeesh.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
8 comments:
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capt
ReplyDeleteproblem with rais is that its all talk. he is an interested party as he is vying for a VP post. look, he is not telling us anything new about invasive corruption in UMNO. if he is sincere in trying to solve the problem, stop vying for the position as a form of protest. if it doesnt work, then get the hell out of UMNO. Just like Zaid resigning from his cabinet post, thats action and no more NATO.
Salam Capt,
ReplyDeleteAs you said, what else is new? Dah berpuluh tahun cerita pasal politik wang tapi setiap kali tahun pemilihan, cerita yang sama juga.
That's the trouble with Malays... always taking the easy way out.
captain,
ReplyDeleteTender system also cannot happen becos Umno only believes in 'direct negotiations'!
Looks like your MCKK boy wont make it...
ReplyDeleteOct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he's running out of options to unseat the government, seven months after reducing the ruling coalition's majority to the smallest since independence in 1957.
Anwar, 61, missed deadlines he set to have coalition lawmakers defect to the opposition and parliament conduct a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The premier's response was to accelerate a power handover to his deputy, Najib Razak.
``I'm not saying we have no options left, but I'm saying it's getting to be much more difficult,'' Anwar said in an interview yesterday in his parliamentary office in Kuala Lumpur. His three-party People's Alliance remains confident it can woo the 30 coalition lawmakers it needs to form a majority after taking control of 5 of 13 states in the March elections, he said.
Anwar's assessment, the most pessimistic since the election, suggests the transfer of power to Najib will be smooth, removing the uncertainty that has contributed to a 37 percent decline in the benchmark stock index this year.
``It's only right for Anwar to clarify the People's Alliance stand to the public,'' regarding their diminishing options, said Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, an independent research institute in Kuala Lumpur. ``They should focus on administering the five states well and strengthening the bonds within the parties. This will demonstrate that they can be a formidable alternative federal government.''
Missed Deadlines
Anwar failed to meet his Sept. 16 deadline to oust Abdullah, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the Federation of Malaysia. He was also unable to persuade the prime minister to recall parliament for a confidence vote or even meet with Abdullah to discuss a change of government.
The opposition has pledged to end Malaysia's system of preferences in employment and education for ethnic Malays and to reduce corruption. The ruling National Front, headed by the United Malays National Organisation, adopted a race-based system known as the New Economic Policy in 1971.
Anwar said he is exploring other options for a takeover that would be ``peaceful and orderly'' and adhere to the constitution, without elaborating.
Abdullah, 68, agreed this month to hand over power to Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, in March. Previously the transition had been planned for June 2010, three years before the next general election must be held.
Cause for Regret?
``The opposition wants Abdullah to carry on, because they believe if he leads the party in the next election, their chances would be enhanced,'' former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in a separate interview yesterday. Mahathir, the nation's longest-serving leader, handpicked Abdullah as his successor, a decision he said he now regrets.
Anwar, a former deputy leader of UMNO, returned to parliament in a by-election on Aug. 26. He was fired as deputy prime minister by Mahathir in 1998 and jailed on charges of having illegal sex with a man and abuse of power. The sodomy conviction was overturned in 2004.
Anwar is currently facing similar sex charges after a 23- year-old former male aide filed a complaint with police.
``They don't have a case. That I know for a fact,'' Anwar said. ``What they want to do is to embarrass me.''
The UMNO system is so corrupt that they all think it is now the ordinary course of business, and why not?
ReplyDeleteThat's what their coalition led Govt has been all about since 1981.
http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
It's shocking what the Malays are up to under their tempurung be it in UMNO or so-called intelligentsia!
ReplyDeleteBecause they feel so threatened that their "hak" and "ketuanan" will be wrested from under their feet, they are zig zagging to sharpen their keris instead of their wits!
Kalau percaya pada diri sendiri dan kebolehan sendiri dan sanggup berkerja kuat tak paya masuk tempurung atau berlindung di bawah payung kerajaan atau Raja.
Orang lain hormat dan percaya kita apabila kita berdiri atas kaki sendiri dan mempamerkan kuasa tulen yang terletak pada ilmu dan pengetahuan dan kemahiran tidak kira apa bidang atau sektor jua!
Tak perlu sogok atau tumbuk rusuk lah!
Salam tuan
ReplyDeleteyou give money you salah but if you don't give money you sure kalah. So many wanaabe leaders try the 2nd option bcos knowing very well that everbody knows politicians don't practise what they preach...
Thursday, October 30, 2008
ReplyDeleteIs outcome of Munawar's appeal indicative of what we can expect from Zaki Azmi...new Boss of the Malaysian Judiciary
Chief Justice Zaki Azmi beginning to throw his true colours...
Will he be able to be INDEPENDENT of UMNO and his past friends, and be able to be concerned only with justice...
Will he be a progressive judge only concerned with JUSTICE - not fearful of developing the law so that justice be done...or will he just remain a tool of UMNO and his 'old friends'.
Also noted that Zaki Azmi was a businessman with involvement in a string of companies - and if so, he must recuse himself from any case involving those companies and/or related companies or even companies whereby his once fellow member of the Board of Directors or management is involved.
Website - http://mybaru.blogspot.com/