Many, if not most youngsters and juniour Umno members are actually oblivious and ignorant to the truth behind Umno, the "Malay Leftists", and the "struggle for Independence" - most have swallowed the myths propagated by certain quarters with vested interests, lock, stock and barrel.
What they know are only the "doctored" versions in history books today, that don't really give room for question.
There appears to be no room for the ideas and ideals of Dato' Onn Jaafar, Samad Ismail, Ahmad Boestamam, Burhanuddin Helmi, Tun Dr. Ismail, or other early nationalists and Indian/ Indonesian influences towards their struggles. It is a known fact that many early nationalists took their cue from India (Gandhi, Nehru, Bose) and their Indonesian counterparts (Soekarno, Hatta). For history of early Malay Nationalists, Click here.
Why is it that we don't hear of these chapters in History? Why is it that we are faced with the primitive old world philosophies of "idol worship" and personality cults of those deemed as our leaders?
Who stole the past? Who stole our History? Who stole Malayan History? Who stole Malaysian History? Don't they know that one who cannot acknowledge and learn from history, are doomed in their future?
Do we even care?
Most youngsters today are much obsessed with "feel good infotainment" dished out by the state.
Any "dissenting" viewpoints or versions of history is frowned upon, and invites retribution in terms of educational or economic benefits.
What we have today is a generation of youth, cowed into submission- into indoctrination and apathy- for want of "easy comforts" in the seductive appeal of the NEP. The feel good mentality is quite unmistakeable, especially from the apathy and intellectual bankruptcy manifested in the students at our "Universities", who are unable to think beyond the indoctrination that they are exposed to.
The effect of this on the much trumpeted "educational excellence" in our institutions of higher learning and its products is quite telling. Taking into consideration our "educational excellence", some of the politicians who are most likely graduates of these very institutions, are to be forgiven for their infantile "words of wisdom", which is laughable at best. The same could be said of many a spin doctor and apologist for the myopic policies that are testaments to the "Malaysia Boleh", "Wawasan 2020", "Ketuanan Melayu" (and now - "2057") spirit!
These policies that keep the Malay minds in "philosophical straightjackets" has resulted in an UMNO that is unable to accept and respond constructively to criticism, to the detriment of the nation. Year after year, we are fed with choreographed events, which are meant to propagate primitive ideas as part of their propaganda, in what is called the AGMs. Gone are the days when there were democratic ideals by which they lived up to. Gone are the intellectuals. Gone are the healthy debates and criticisms.
All views that do not subscribe to "conventional wisdom" of certain quarters, are suppressed and repressed, so as to further their own selfish agendas. Platitudes upon platitudes ad nauseaum, ad infinatum, are heaped upon sleepy and yawning "great Leaders" - reminding one of totalitarian states of the third world. Political patronage has become the "in thing" - "bodek" is the name of the game .....
Yes indeed- UMNO needs to rethink its strategy for a dynamic, better and more progressive Malaysia (and Malays) in the 21st century, instead of playing the narrow, isolationist, "music of Malay hegemony" of a bygone era.
With the ballooning of the Malay population and UMNO membership,there is bound to be dissent within and without the community - the real challenge to UMNO is actually democracy within its folds, and not the threat from "non-bumis". The political threat from the "Chinese" community would be rendered obsolete within the next 5-10 yrs. The Indians are already insignificant as a political force.
They are quite aware that the non-Malay community can only dream of grabbing political power from the Malays, given the reality of demographics- and scaring them away with ethnocentric rhetoric, would only impoverish the Malays themselves.
So why the usual "racial undertones" at UMNO AGMs? A little introspection on the part of the "leaders" would go a long way, towards making Malaysia the economic powerhouse that it could and should have been, without the corruption, plunder and rape of its resources by the "goodfellas" of Malaysia.
Having said that, the sin of envy that is frequently drummed up against the rich "others" (while disregarding the ill-gotten gains of their own kind) for political mileage at AGMs every year, is actually killing them as a whole, by masking the other deadly sins that it permits. It has reinforced a seige mentality among its advocates, who are incapable of thinking out of the box (despite being awarded as educators).
It is time that the leadership learns to deal with the real problem at hand - the lack of, or repression/ suppression of the Malay intelligentsia, and the rise of the "Islamist right/ extremism". It is time that the leadership realizes that it is this very repression, that becomes the fertile breeding ground for the forces of extremism - both racist and religious - as desperate reactions to realities of the day.
On the occasion of the UMNO AGM, I wish all the best to UMNO members as a whole, and hope there will be some positive outcome this year, as opposed to the normal drivel for the past 25yrs.
What they know are only the "doctored" versions in history books today, that don't really give room for question.
There appears to be no room for the ideas and ideals of Dato' Onn Jaafar, Samad Ismail, Ahmad Boestamam, Burhanuddin Helmi, Tun Dr. Ismail, or other early nationalists and Indian/ Indonesian influences towards their struggles. It is a known fact that many early nationalists took their cue from India (Gandhi, Nehru, Bose) and their Indonesian counterparts (Soekarno, Hatta). For history of early Malay Nationalists, Click here.
Why is it that we don't hear of these chapters in History? Why is it that we are faced with the primitive old world philosophies of "idol worship" and personality cults of those deemed as our leaders?
Who stole the past? Who stole our History? Who stole Malayan History? Who stole Malaysian History? Don't they know that one who cannot acknowledge and learn from history, are doomed in their future?
Do we even care?
Most youngsters today are much obsessed with "feel good infotainment" dished out by the state.
Any "dissenting" viewpoints or versions of history is frowned upon, and invites retribution in terms of educational or economic benefits.
What we have today is a generation of youth, cowed into submission- into indoctrination and apathy- for want of "easy comforts" in the seductive appeal of the NEP. The feel good mentality is quite unmistakeable, especially from the apathy and intellectual bankruptcy manifested in the students at our "Universities", who are unable to think beyond the indoctrination that they are exposed to.
The effect of this on the much trumpeted "educational excellence" in our institutions of higher learning and its products is quite telling. Taking into consideration our "educational excellence", some of the politicians who are most likely graduates of these very institutions, are to be forgiven for their infantile "words of wisdom", which is laughable at best. The same could be said of many a spin doctor and apologist for the myopic policies that are testaments to the "Malaysia Boleh", "Wawasan 2020", "Ketuanan Melayu" (and now - "2057") spirit!
These policies that keep the Malay minds in "philosophical straightjackets" has resulted in an UMNO that is unable to accept and respond constructively to criticism, to the detriment of the nation. Year after year, we are fed with choreographed events, which are meant to propagate primitive ideas as part of their propaganda, in what is called the AGMs. Gone are the days when there were democratic ideals by which they lived up to. Gone are the intellectuals. Gone are the healthy debates and criticisms.
All views that do not subscribe to "conventional wisdom" of certain quarters, are suppressed and repressed, so as to further their own selfish agendas. Platitudes upon platitudes ad nauseaum, ad infinatum, are heaped upon sleepy and yawning "great Leaders" - reminding one of totalitarian states of the third world. Political patronage has become the "in thing" - "bodek" is the name of the game .....
Yes indeed- UMNO needs to rethink its strategy for a dynamic, better and more progressive Malaysia (and Malays) in the 21st century, instead of playing the narrow, isolationist, "music of Malay hegemony" of a bygone era.
With the ballooning of the Malay population and UMNO membership,there is bound to be dissent within and without the community - the real challenge to UMNO is actually democracy within its folds, and not the threat from "non-bumis". The political threat from the "Chinese" community would be rendered obsolete within the next 5-10 yrs. The Indians are already insignificant as a political force.
They are quite aware that the non-Malay community can only dream of grabbing political power from the Malays, given the reality of demographics- and scaring them away with ethnocentric rhetoric, would only impoverish the Malays themselves.
So why the usual "racial undertones" at UMNO AGMs? A little introspection on the part of the "leaders" would go a long way, towards making Malaysia the economic powerhouse that it could and should have been, without the corruption, plunder and rape of its resources by the "goodfellas" of Malaysia.
Having said that, the sin of envy that is frequently drummed up against the rich "others" (while disregarding the ill-gotten gains of their own kind) for political mileage at AGMs every year, is actually killing them as a whole, by masking the other deadly sins that it permits. It has reinforced a seige mentality among its advocates, who are incapable of thinking out of the box (despite being awarded as educators).
It is time that the leadership learns to deal with the real problem at hand - the lack of, or repression/ suppression of the Malay intelligentsia, and the rise of the "Islamist right/ extremism". It is time that the leadership realizes that it is this very repression, that becomes the fertile breeding ground for the forces of extremism - both racist and religious - as desperate reactions to realities of the day.
On the occasion of the UMNO AGM, I wish all the best to UMNO members as a whole, and hope there will be some positive outcome this year, as opposed to the normal drivel for the past 25yrs.