run up to GE13 - if they still govern ....

The below is by courtesy of Malaysiakini. (edited )

Quote "...for 54 years they have been in power. Its a mighty long time for a one race one party to rule and govern a nation." Unquote.

Around the time of independence, UMNO had people of quality within its ranks. Today, it's alleged loyalty is determined by money. Is that what Umno think the Malays are proud of...that their allegiance is easily bought? Umno strips Malays of self-worth and self-respect.

Instead of using intelligent discourse and logic to dissect issues, UMNO uses sexual allegations or character assassinations to blacken the reputation of members of the opposition. Aren't the opposition Malays too? If you say you champion the Malays and yet you smear the sanctity of others, what do you call that? Leaders(mostly Malays)  had their characters or their children’s character tarnished with untrue allegations in pro-UMNO blogs.

Gutter politics are prevalent in UMNO. Name calling and snide insinuations seemed to be the order of the day. The men and women, who are supposed to be leaders and pillars of Malay society, are a disgrace to themselves and the nation.

In UMNO, men who were guilty of sexual acts, against their hired help or against minors, talk about the sexual behaviours of others, as if they lead blameless lives. Those who are guilty of money politics try to distract attention by calling on opposition members to resign. What happened to accountability and responsibility?

These men and women who talk about religion profess they are free of sin. These same people use any opportunity to say the failure of the Malays is because of the dominance of the non-Malays.

In education, the Malays are given the best chances for obtaining a higher education on a better platform. The nation has systematically built higher institute of learning to tailor suit the Malays and yet the non-Malays do it better even on unequal and ill quiped platforms. The undesirable side-effect which is a fact is that their children grow up lacking aspiration and ambition.

Malays who wanted to improve themselves by learning English are now considered traitors. Many Malays who study overseas have a poor grasp of English. Many who were not allowed to mix with other races at home, find great difficulty adapting to life with non-Malays. Is this what UMNO leaders want of the Malays?

Malays have lost the respect of the other races and nationalities. Worldwide, people are breaking down walls which prevent intermingling, but not, it appears, in the Malay race. Malays have tunnel vision when it comes to understanding social morals. They see non-Malays and non-Muslims as a threat to their very existence. They feel they're far superior to the other races or nationalities, and their belligerence prevents them from accepting others superior to them in many fields; be it education, business, social integration and civility.

UMNO leaders have tried to use the Ketuanan Melayu concept to champion Malay interests. In truth, believe it or not, Ketuanan Melayu only champions the interests of UMNO leaders. UMNO is not for the Malays. It exists only so its leaders will thrive to the detriment of the normal, ordinary Malay.

Does UMNO practice equality and fairness? Who gets the contracts and government tenders? Is this UMNO’s idea of helping the Malays? Even amongst the Malays, fairness is not practiced. The UMNO cronies have the monopoly on the staples of life like rice, bottled drinks, bread, beer, brandy, cattle, airlines and their associated industries, APs (Approved Permits), electricity, contracts for school supplies, NS (National Service) uniforms, cars, petrol and petrol stations, road construction, taxi permits, whisky, water and gambling.

Does UMNO encourage the opportunity for growth and expansion? Those who have fallen out of favour or those who no longer enjoy the patronage of various government ministers, probably wished that legitimate competition had been around, in the first place.

Without healthy competition, how can confidence be inspired in foreign investors so that their investments will bring employment and opportunities to Malaysians? As a nation, do we have confidence in our own public institutions like the police, the judiciary and the various services which support society?

Are we confident when things go wrong, the help of agencies which tackle corruption, or investigate criminal acts can be relied upon?

Are the leaders in UMNO able to understand that without progressive reforms, the country’s growth is retarded, the people are held back and opportunities to improve the lives of the rakyat are few? Does UMNO realise “Brand Malaysia” is a sum of its individual races and that the contribution of each community is important?

Right now, only Malay interests are treated with reverence, whilst the others are sidelined. Will UMNO ever see the need to discard its racist policies? UMNO does not seem to appreciate that it needs to rebuild its core values. If it continues down the path of racism and religious intolerance, the party which once sustained its members, may never be able to recover.

Perhaps, that is not such a bad thing after all.

In a nutshell - given the yardstick and taking into account all trivialities, is UMNO anywhere relevant?