DO UMNO MALAYS DESERVE GOOD LEADERSHIP

A DEFINITE YES! But as they used to deserve good leadership then, they are now forced to earn it, no thanks to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

I try not to sound like a broken record so I'll skip repeating the score in the last General Elections. Under the current circumstances and with the widespread cry for the Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of UMNO to retire, it is indeed a monumental task to replace him through the current system if he wishes to remain President.

Much power had been vested in the UMNO President and the Supreme Council to suggest and propose with little resistance the rules and regulations or even guidelines that sometimes go against the UMNO constitution but to their own advantage. These powers were introduced sometime during the 22 years of Tun Dr Mahathir's rule. One of them is the 30% quota for a Presidential candidate to qualify to contest. This comes to 58 nominations needed to cross the bar.

Today, most Malays are tired of the bickering amongst their current leaders, tired of the bad leadership that they know needs changing but is made more difficult to affect, and tired of the previous leader who says the right thing but was guilty of imposing then the very system that is failing the party now. Most Malays are so frustrated that they prefer to throw their hands down and let the chips fall where they may.

The system has made local leaders more subservient to their superiors than to the party. The grassroots generally want change but with strong resistance from the division with much self interest, they would have to fight for it even harder than they should.

The New Malay Dilemma is that we want change but not many are ready to make the sacrifices our forefathers made when they achieved Independence. Today, although the country is independent, the UMNO Malays are not entirely so. Most of them are dependent on leaders at different levels all the way up to the top, either for contracts, state decorations or most often than not for positions. We seem to have lost our direction because the struggle is no longer to preserve the special privilege to be a Malay born in Malaysia, but to preserve the positions of our respective leaders in order to maintain our power in the community and the spoils that come with it.

To make this big change, we the Malays must be brave and independent in our thoughts and exercise our rights without fear or favour. We must remember to repay the good deeds of those who were and are constantly at hand to assist us, not only the last hand that does so. We must choose the right person who has the charisma, foresight, wisdom and who is also independent from family interference be it from a brilliant son in law or even a saucy consort.

The Malays have expected and received good leadership since Merdeka. Today however, if they fail to earn it, they will cease to deserve it.

There is a Hadith that says, " Destruction awaits those who choose a man who knows not of the field he is chosen for. "

May the best man win the day for the sake of our Nation.