The triennial Umno AGM for the last 60 years was the event to watch, especially from the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad era in the 80s. The general elections were a mere colourful side attraction; to resemble a democracy.
Assuredly, once the candidature nominations were secured, it was a “done deal”. The AGM elections decided who the personalities in Umno were in the driving seat of the administration.
During every AGM, newspapers of all languages would devote up to six pages coverage starting from their front pages. Centrespread pages were also lavished like what we see in the World Cup coverage.
Without fail, fair-minded Malaysians would squirm, aghast at the ludicrous proposals or comments of delegates. It was always explicitly race centric. It seemed the more appaling the more “heroic” the delegate appeared to his audience when championing race and religion. We certainly have had free speech for a long time, albeit in a perverse way!
Every three years during the Umno elections, for four to five days, our Sedition Act would be “suspended”. That forum was a law unto itself!
So what do the Umno election results last Saturday tell us?
To me, the long and short is that it will be “business as usual”, meaning the race, religion and royalty mantra will continue, perhaps even increased by several decibels.
Newly elected Youth Chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has already given indication, saying that freezing Umno party accounts by MACC will hamper the party’s role as an effective opposition, thus further crippling Umno as the main voice for Malays and Muslims.
Was the (lack of) defence of the 3Rs even a miniscule reason at all for Umno’s dismal outing in GE14, or was it because of the successful attack of the 3Rs by Pakatan Harapan?
Our federal constitution, supported by the state constitutions, and reinforced by various Acts already protects the sanctity of the 3Rs until all the cups of the nation runneth over. Enough said.
I can’t see Umno under the new leadership leading a coalition of a “government-in-waiting” come GE15.
Of the umpteenth institutional reforms that are necessary, to me the most urgent must be the review of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the repeal of the Sedition Act 1948 and the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
The unfathomable and sometimes outrageous statements issued by former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad is cause enough to tighten the appointments and elevations of judges.
I feel so ashamed that he was even a judge of our courts, let alone at the top of the heap!
The Sedition Act simply has no place in any enlightened society. It was designed to protect the colonies of imperial Great Britain – to clamp up the natives. For goodness sakes, just dump it!
And I am pretty sure all good policemen welcome the IPCMC. It is there to uplift and maintain the professionalism and dignity of our men in blue. Come on PDRM, just go for it!
I backed Germany for the BNO Club makan pool and I had thought of Portugal as a back-up.
Luckily I didn’t pick or think of Spain, Mexico or France or else they too could have packed up!
