Parties forming the "Back Door" Government (Un-elected)

COMMENT | Well yes, Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan was threatening the current Umno prime minister of this country. 

Just like how Bersatu and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin toppled the legitimately elected Pakatan Harapan government. And yes, just like how Umno threatened and then toppled the Bersatu-led backdoor government.

Defenders of bangsa and agama like to think that actions such as lies and betrayal are against the will of God - but they have no trouble incorporating such traits into their politics and demonising outsider groups as a threat to their community. 

Pictures of political operatives seated in ostentatious surroundings smirking at their own cleverness attest to this.

One of the reasons why I always quote Zakir Naik is because he is upfront in his religious beliefs: that it is incumbent on Muslims to vote for Muslim leaders regardless of their lack of integrity because Muslim unity trumps anything else. 

This same thread of fascist dogma is also propagated by PAS, with its president Abdul Hadi Awang claiming that integrity is not the sole criteria for political office, but rather, faith in Islam.

Muhyiddin has claimed that he was pressured into interfering in the judiciary. He breathes a sigh of relief that he does not have to associate with a party with a convict boss anymore but, in the same breath, claims that Bersatu did not betray Umno in Sabah.

Meanwhile, PAS and Hadi, after failing with Muafakat Nasional, have begun their propaganda campaign whereby they simultaneously claim that Umno is an unfaithful partner, while taunting the gains they have made from the Muslim polity when in government with Umno.

Bersatu cries betrayal and treachery but conveniently forgets that PN is a child which was sired by betrayal and treachery and Bersatu is the hubris of Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his efforts to destroy Umno.

If you think that all this is weird, all these squabbling Malay uber alles parties form part of the federal government. 

Ahmad Maslan, while playing the victim card, said: "These people may have their own interests to keep holding ministerial posts in the Keluarga Malaysia government, right? It serves their interest to continue having their positions. So with PAS and Bersatu, maybe that is one of the conditions." This is a threat in itself.

So, not only is the political apparatus screwing each other, but they are also screwing the rakyat. It is amazing that the civil services and security services are still operating, considering the fact that the political apparatus of this country has shown minimal interest in governing. 

The only one who seems to be doing anything is Khairy Jamaluddin and he is hampered by the members of his coalition. And while it is not perfect, at least the rakyat should be comforted because there is not a complete breakdown, which honestly, is why some folks are warming up to the idea of a stable Umno/BN government.

Race and religion

The Sheraton Move betrayal was supposed to be about Muslim unity. In fact, any betrayal by Malay political operatives always revolves around the theme of placing Muslim unity above all else. 

Now we have Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin attempting to reposition Umno as the only game in town when it comes to “genuine power-sharing”.

Khaled decries tokenism - but aren’t these the same guys who were howling at the moon when Harapan was appointing non-Malays in positions of power?

Umno has the cojones (thanks to a veteran journalist for pointing out the proper spelling), to make these statements because they are secure that the base understands that they are a Malay-based party. Harapan, meanwhile, has to waffle because they do not want to spook the Malays.

Of course, the real reason that this is brought up now is not that Umno wants to hoodwink the non-Malays. Elements of the Malay political establishment realise that having Malay-only rule means that the country is going down the crapper. 

Despite what Harapan partisans think, there are a host of younger Umno members who believe in race and religion, but not at the expense of turning this country into a theocratic state where everyone suffers.

And younger Umno grassroots level activists understand the class conflict which has been percolating in the streets of urban centres and in the rural heartland which Umno believes is its vote banks. They understand what Syed Husin Ali discussed here, the cogent part being:

“Misalannya, kurang kekayaan dalam kalangan Melayu. Orang Melayu yang di bawah akan menganggap mereka miskin kerana kekayaan dikumpul oleh kelompok (orang Melayu kaya) yang sedikit. Justeru, timbullah konflik.”

[For example, Malay poverty. These Malays may think they are poor because wealth is in the hands of a small elite (rich Malays). This will give rise to conflict] 

This is what happens when you invest every institution, every aspect of economic, social and political life with ketuanism. 

Eventually, the people you claim you are helping are going to realise that if the (Malays) are so powerful, then why is it that Malays are facing the kind of economic, social and political problems that the non-Malays do not?

And why is it, when you have Malay/Muslim political unity, the dominant polity is even more divided than ever?