Umno is the cancer of Malaysia

by Richard Wee (www.loyarburok.com)

Amazing?! For the second time in a row, Umno chooses a candidate tainted with corruption. They chose Rohaizat Othman at the recent by-election at Permatang Pasir. Rohaizat was disbarred as a lawyer for misusing clients’ funds.

Now for the Bagan Pinang by-election, they choose Tan Sri Isa Mohd Samad, who was suspended by Umno’s very own disciplinary board for money politics (read: corruption).

And the most amazing thing is that Umno’s members from that branch wanted only Isa and even threatened to boycott the by-election if Umno chose another candidate. The fact Bagan Pinang’s Umno branch demanded for Isa’s selection only reflects the kind of people who are members there.

But Najib must be so desperate to win a by-election that he bowed to pressure and chose a tainted man like Isa. This selection of Isa is the consequence of many years of handouts in which Umno gives out contracts to their members. And Isa is popular not because he is a quality, intelligent leader, but a leader who knows how to manipulate the system to pass contracts to the relevant people.

All the noise from Najib that he wants transparency and accountability in his government is merely empty words and promises. By right, Umno should discipline their members at Bagan Pinang for even threatening to boycott the election, but instead he chose the easy path for short-term gain.

It is very unlikely that Pakatan will win this seat as it is traditionally an Umno seat. So, I can imagine that Najib craves the right to brag after Umno wins (assuming they do), to the entire Malaysia. After all, history has shown how Umno brags that the people support them, and how the opposition is rejected at every by-election they won.

Having tasted so many defeats, I think Najib will do almost anything to win one by-election in Peninsular Malaysia.

Umno is the cancer of this country, and I hope a miracle happens in Bagan Pinang and that Pakatan upsets Umno; and more importantly, I pray that Malaysians will open their eyes to see that we cannot go on being governed by people who subscribe to corruption as a normal practice.