Analysts Feel BN Harping On Trivia Than Tackling Important Issues

By Noor Hayati Muda

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) — Political observers feel that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is harping on trivial issues instead of more important matters such as tackling money politics, picking the right leaders and working hard to win back the support the coalition lost in the March 8 general election.

The analysts regard as inconsequent, for the moment, the proposal to turn the coalition into a single multiracial party or even restructuring it.

Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussein of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said restructuring the top posts in the BN supreme council would not bring any significant impact in the coalition or to the rakyat (people) in general.

“To me this is trivia. I understand they want to get the support from their own people but I don’t think this will benefit the masses in general.

“After all, the top posts in the BN are merely in name only as all decisions are made based on consensus regardless of their posts in the supreme council,” said lecturer of the university’s Public Administration and Law Faculty.

He said the BN was established based on understanding without a legally binding constitution.

“It doesn’t matter who sits where as those in the supreme council are actually on equal footing. Umno was given the chair and deputy chair seats based on the understanding that it is the largest party, and it remains so today,” he said.

Dr Ahmad Atory said BN leaders should instead be focusing on the more vital issue of winning back the people’s confidence.

“They really need to go back and study the whole situation and find the root cause of the problem, then come up with brilliant ideas to really help the coalition woo back voters in the next general election.

“You can get your own party members’ support but, at the end of day, what matters is the masses,” he said.

Dr Ahmad Atory’s remarks are made in reference to the BN’s failure to recapture Kelantan and loss of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor to the opposition in the March 8 general election.

Assoc Prof Dr Ahmad Nizamuddin Sulaiman of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) referred to the MCA’s request for the creation of a second post of BN deputy chairman for the party to hold, and said entertaining the request would be opening the door for other component parties to make similar demands.

“Besides, I am of the opinion that there are other pressing matters that need to be addressed by the BN leaders, more vital reforms like dealing with money politics, for example,” he said.

He also said that BN leaders were digressing from the real problems.

“Each of the component parties, be it Umno, MCA, MIC or even Gerakan, have leadership problems. I think they must resolve this first before talking about reforming the coalition structure,” said the lecturer of the Social Science and Humanities Faculty.

Dr Ahmad Nizamuddin’s views were shared by Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid of the Tun Abdul Razak University who said the priority for BN component parties was to elect the “right leaders”.

“I am of the opinion that what matters most now is for all component parties to choose the right leaders. Then, later, they can discuss ideas for reform,” said the former dean of the university’s Social Science and Humanities Faculty.

He said it was critical to elect leaders with vast knowledge in various fields as well as broad networking either in the country or overseas.

“We have outstanding leaders in the corporate world, in the public service and in the education sector, just to name a few. Therefore, in my view, political leaders also must be among the best,” he said.

Given the current situation, politically or economically, Dr Ibrahim had a point in asserting the importance of choosing the right leaders as these leaders must find ways not only to strengthen their own parties but also the BN as a whole as well as steer the country towards taking on the current global financial onslaught.

At the same time, they have to win back the voters’ confidence if the BN wants to remain in power after the next general election.

Therefore, said Dr Ibrahim, it was vital for BN leaders to identify the root cause of the problems which had landed the coalition in the “hot soup” in the first place.

He said every proposed change must be considered carefully based on the principles of each component party and, most importantly, they should focus on the people’s interests while ensuring continuous stability in the country.

“Reforms should be based on several factors, both external and internal. Some would like to have radical changes but for me they should be an ongoing matter,” he said.

Sourced from BERNAMA.

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Aiyoyo.. these academics and political analysts are sometimes full of themselves and when they unload their intellect onto the masses, somehow there’s a disconnect.

Ok lah you blokes, lissen up, will yer.

UMNO, the numero uno head honcho leading the BN circus wagon has been around for about six decades and along the way, they picked up the other clowns coz UMNO are the main event players like.. err.. lion tamers, trapeze artists, high-wire walkers, etc.

But all these main events are serious stuff which can be considered life-threatening hence the need for side-shows with clowns to lighten up the audience prior to having the next ‘white knuckled’ UMNO show.

Therefore, the crowd gets into this roller-coaster ride vaccilating between shock & awe and abject ‘no-brainers’ and trust me, UMNO does this juggling act quite well.

Of course, in the meanwhile, with a paying audience (read: income tax), UMNO went and tweaked the system by installing ‘trojans’ and ‘botnets’ on the mainframe i.e. BN lah.

These two-legged viruses are aptly named ‘gatekeepers’ and ‘warlords’ whose sole purpose is to handle the gate receipts and other accruals. Heck, sometimes the accrued stuff far outweigh the account receivables coz there are three books, one for show and two under their butts, to balance, yer see.

[Where the heck am I going with this! Sips coffee and puffs on cheap ciggies….. Hmmm.. Now where was I? Oh yeah, MMAARRNNNEEYYYY!!!]

How do you pick the right leaders who basically have:

  • the rakyats’ interest at heart from the outset,
  • the brains, motivation and tenacity to churn out briilliant social reforms and economic strategies,
  • and aren’t tempted with just getting rich or wealthy or both (could never figure out the difference) in dubious ways?

Simple – Get out of your airconditioned offices/homes and go park yourself at every UMNO branch and division with vidcam in hand, and root out the numbskulls with their bags of goodies during the next few months until the next UMNO GA.

Ask RY and TRH for directions so you’ll be heading towards the right circus tent.

Go, run along now, quickly, before the culprits ‘berambus’ with their hugh, gleaming Brabuses.

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Off topic stuff and its a crassy joke, folks.

“How do you talk down to umnoputras who drives porches, mercs or ferraris?

Speak through a loud megaphone from atop of yer latest model Lamborghini, that’s how”

*Thank you to Admiral Tojo for this bit of blarney*