The Statesmen

UMNO shine is dimming. We all have to admit it. Yet, never let it flicker out. The moment it flickered out, its already too late for a change. Obviously, Pak Lah stepping out in this early hour is amongst the vital one. Apart from that, its time for UMNO members to become more of a statesmen

When I was serving the National Service in Kuala Nerang, Kedah, we were ordered to wake up as early as 5.30 in the morning. We prepared ourselves then were asked to gather at the assembly area. On the darn cold morning, nobody dared to shower. It sends chill to the bone that anyone might crazily shiver like on orgasmic twitching . Later, in groups, we were asked to jog at not less than 4 kilometres around the camp area which is nothing to look than thick lush jungle, mountains and single-car small roads. Only sounds of humming bird and heavy breather were heard, some went pancit (exhausted) but did not dare to slow down since the girls groups were trailing us from behind. So, those pancit ones still exert as much energy to remain in one group.

When we gathered again at the starting point, we were asked to do the ‘cooling-down’ exercises. Light muscular movements which were done on the spot, it includes flexing of wrists and waists. A few stretches and push-ups. Those who was caught smoking cigarette or rokok daun last night were given special exercises. As the teacher cynically described: “pi bagi asap keluaq balik ” ( making the smoke comes out again ).

Before breakfast, we are ordered to form a line of three in a row. Like the army formation when they march. Three in a line. We were sweating like hell till our eyeballs were aching due to the salty sweat which begins to flood the eye bag. Momentarily, in one short simple command, the cikgu asked us to do a 45degree turn. The order was simple: massage the head of the person right in front of you. Yups. In a sweaty sticky-ikky situation like that, theres nothing more better than someone scratching the scalp of your head giving a fresh blow of the morning breeze. Wait, while I enjoyed the this ‘royal’ treatment, I had to do it onto other person. Depends on your luck. You might get Chinese, Indian, Siamnese or fellow Malays head to massage. Scalp massage is not the only thing you do. The combination of ear pulling, shoulder presses and waist grabbing is compulsory. I can guarantee; the palms of your hands will be soaked with workout sweats of fellow National Service comrade.

During the 3 months stint, my finger which I’m using to type this blog right now had shares of Indian, Chinese, Siamnese and Malay sweat. I honestly had no problems handling their bodily fluid. Of course, its nothing and just a sweat… the same fluid that my body excrete. Although there might be occasional thoughts of ‘This Chinese might be eating pork during his three days off’ or ‘ would this Indian be drinking alcoholic beverage’, there are occasional of ‘ this mamat could be a druggie or what’ , no matter how sticky or sweaty the situation is, I definitely had no issues with that. These fingers did not rot, falls off, poisoned or gangrened due to the massage. Infact, its still doing fine today.

The UMNO or as I fondly referred as sang saka bangsa (the name of its keris flag) is a political organization with a noble cause. And it has a long history of contributing towards the Malays as a whole. PAS was once part of UMNO last time, and enjoyed sort of firm mutual understanding between them with double membership. Malay clergymen stood strong behind UMNO. UMNO was an absolute strong hybrid of religious and nationalistic Malays which fought on the same platform and cause. Yet, the extremities which the party has went into with its many mismanagement and, of course, weak leader has led this party fundamental idealism into a big question which sparks doubt onto rakyat like you and me: Is racial based party still rational today?

I can guarantee, if racial-based party rationality can be refuted, so did PAS stance for religion also may be at risk, as the Malaysian Malaysia idealism may sweep as quick as a pack of wolf hunting down its prey. If those freethinking politicians may be working at bottleneck speed they might somehow find a way to suppress the Malay majority, we could see Malays pushed into the cottage and kampongs and fate could be worse than the Australian aborigines. No doubt if this Malaysian Malaysia party had this magnitude of strength, the remaining Malays academia and politician inside PKR shall be eaten up till the last bone and pulp. At that moment, 11 May 1964 shall never occur again, Malays are back into Stone Age. No luck for those pretty eyed Malay anak dara to wear expensive shiny DKNY/Gucci/Ray-Ban/Guess overgrown shades literally speaking.

Again, if the sultans were in place to defend the Malay special rights, without the rakyat standing united behind them, the Malaysian Malaysia saga will happily regard it as a ‘huge threat of insignificant effect’, they may delay their vision as long as possible, elongating their saga to hundreds of chapters while weakened Malays giving salvos of ineffective resistance and endless blackened-out plight. So the sultan&rakyat sync is very vital.

Malay special rights is something that has to be taken seriously and delicately. We all get mad when talking about Malays were getting perks here and there. I hear non-Malays voicing out their silent angst towards this bumiputra special rights in one of the brainstorming session during National Service. It seems like ‘equal opportunity’ is becoming a music to youngster ear these days. Demographically, Malays are the dominant ethnic here in Malaysia. And their plight is the most prioritize due to their large numbers. Perhaps this is the magic of democracy. Chinese with their economic superiority should have given special rights, but there are no such thing as ecocracy… its democracy. Stupid as it sounds, yet still, people power is what we are looking at. And of course, there are efforts done to fulfill other ethnic needs.

The UMNO man should shed away the Paris-in-the-morning, Hong-Kong-in-the-evening image. Practice what they preach, if the government have delivered good enough to the rakyat for so long, then, use the public amenities. Best, get their son or daughters to local education institution. We have learned a lot along 50 years of sovereignty. If they prefer to study overboard, then go ahead-lah. Let them queue like other commoners at the immigration offices to get their visa approved. Humble is what Malay are traditionally known for, if these son and daughters of ‘select Malays’ has been pumping V-Power into their sport cars and sped through LDP with their overgrown Gucci/Ray-Ban/DKNY/Guess overgrown shades, how astonishingly lavish it could be when we have fulfilled the 25% national equity share by 2020? Its time for UMNO man should be able to tell the difference between the Hakka, Hokkien and Tionghua sub ethnics, rather than describing them flat-out as Chinese. There are sub-ethnics of other ethnic which I’am interested to find out.

Be everywhere near the people, remain anonymous. I reckon that it leaves a good feeling when we helped some unknown people and they thanked us, statesmen shall serve well even if their names are not aforementioned. Self-lessness shall made them to be known by their courtesy, not through prefix of Tan Sri’s or Datuk Sri. And for those that benefit shall never know till they found out by themselves “ Oh! He’s a UMNO statesmen! “

There were suggestions UMNO should revert back as a kampong party. I doubt that would bring any good.

UMNO should be a party best for both worlds. Either for minyak attar scented kampong folks or Paco Rabbane perfumed town folks. Do not repeat the mistake of leaving our opponent strong area and let it be an infestation ground that would spur more Malaysian Malaysia cadets. Stood still and remain headstrong, in high or low tide.

UMNO statesmen should strike a good chat or two with the indigenous mix of ethnic in Malaysia. From hot-shot Sikh Lawyers, to paddy farming Tok Wan. From fundamentalist Chinese to liberated christened or freethinking Chinese. They should be able to articulate the nature of ‘special rights’ that are running in the nation is more than rhetoric fantasy. Malaysia would be a million kilometers further than being an industrial-aggressive Singapore if the fate of trailing Malays train were pulled apart from a steam-engine driver. UMNO-men should get hell out of their confinement of ‘Malay-business-politicking’ powerhouse. UMNO should instead be a academic-think-tank powerhouse, let the business Malays exists in separate entity. Without pak ampu trailing/flanking around, they roam free and maintained as a nameless servant. Jog at the municipal park or eat at people eateries. If we claimed to be masters of land, then master the land. Do not let others master us. Speak the ‘language’ of land, move ‘along’ with the land, and learn the ‘mood’ of land.

This kind of UMNO statesmen compatibility with commoners shall remain all year long (not a phenomenal nearing the election season) , like a gale wind sang saka bangsa shall rise and its rationality will never be questioned anymore. Today if I showed too much love for my race, I might be mistakenly known as ultras, a supremacist, worst, a secularist. Yet the love born for own race is never a criminal or politically motivated. Hopefully loving ones race will not be seen as something susceptible, instead, Malays may get praised for this embedded-in-genes of origin appreciation.

When these statesmen worn their best svelte baju melayu, shiniest kain songket and dust-free songkok, delivers a speech with confidence infront of thousand listeners and hundreds of flashing cameras, their action shall neither be feared nor prejudiced. Fellow Chinese, Indian, Siamnese and other ethnic will open their eyes, ear and hearts to listen. Because they knew, the statesmen are the one which stood along them, in good and bad times. In breezy dry or sticky sweaty situation.

End note: I ought not to be a politician, since I’ am rather weak in executing stuff. Furthermore, architecture suits me well. Above entry are just share some thoughts. You can do it too at the comments section.