YOURSAY ‘Umnoputras now know that they've got a wimp for a leader.’

Standing ovation for a promise broken

Kim Quek: PM Najib Razak’s proposed recipe of “1Malaysia, transformation, best democracy, etc” was the right stuff to lift the nation from the quagmire precipitated by Umno.

But Najib happens to be the wrong leader, who has neither the strength of character nor political conviction, to do it. If Najib had been a strong leader who was capable of leading and inspiring his folks, he might have made a positive impact, though not necessarily succeed in transforming the nation.

This is because Umno Baru had already been too deeply transformed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad into a completely self-serving body of corrupt politicians, totally void of political idealism.

Malaysia’s true transformation will only come when the old and rotten is replaced by a new power genuinely dedicated to the betterment of the country.

Unafraid: It appears that the people at the Umno general assembly last week were more led by their emotions than their brains.

It is frightening that under such a charged atmosphere, the members allow themselves to be manipulated by empty rhetoric, hype and raw sensationalism.

The showing of footage of the May 13 riots and Bersih protest march during the speeches are clearly designed to stir up emotions against the non-Malays.

The PM is playing a very dangerous game. Is he the leader of Malaysia or is he only the leader of Umno?

I am okay if the Sedition Act is retained as long as it is not abused to silence the opposition and critics of the government. It must be used judiciously, fairly and not as a tool for selective prosecution of perceived enemies of the state.

This kind of abuse of power insults right-thinking Malaysians and offends the conscience of the righteous.

Basically: So much for transformation. It is hilarious that Umno members would cheer and clap for authoritarian laws to be further strengthened. It shows the kind of party it is.

An intelligent party would have done such things quietly so the public would not notice. It's like the South African government holding a rally and cheering the upholding of apartheid, and broadcasting it to the whole world, or Stalin announcing on air that all dissidents would be jailed and sent to Siberia.

Patriot1: Wow, this is the first time I witness an en bloc endorsement for the leader breaking an election promise. What an incredible party.

BTN: I have given up on Umno long time ago. They are a group of people full of jealousy and hatred. They are in the world of their own.

They may profess to believe in a religion but their actions and word are demeaning and hurtful. The best thing to do is to ignore them and vote against them when the time comes.

Let’s teach this bunch of Umno people that threat does not work on us anymore. You screw up, you pay the price. Continue with your arrogance and we will fight you with our votes.

Casey: There is a huge difference between being on crutch and no crutches. The simplest consequence of walking on crutches is that you walk slower. And had you relied on it since birth, you'll be hard-pressed to walk without it.

I'm not talking about those physically handicapped. I am talking about the spoon-fed and psychologically handicapped. I am talking about the systematic indoctrination, proselytisation and propagation of "crutch psyche" and "siege mentality".

In most cases, pampering, protection, extreme privileges, and handouts are crutches, and they tend to soften rather than harden the resolve of a community to succeed.

Just look at what Kedah Umno delegate Dr Mohamad Nawar Ariffin told his 12-year-old son - that every grain of rice he eats is because of Umno. To me, that's the most despicable act and disservice a father can do to his young son.

Did he say that he is a medical doctor?

MingXiang: Don't get it wrong, the standing ovation was for themselves and not for Najib. Either way he loses.

Umnoputras now know that they've got a wimp for a leader and people in general will view him as a person who would sacrifice his credibility and integrity for his own political survival.

Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Mahatma: The U-turn by Najib to retain Sedition Act doesn't mean that he is coward. The Sedition Act 1948 is a set of laws in Malaysia that is enacted to govern and monitor public discourse in order to prevent any public action that can be interpreted as 'seditious'.

According to existing interpretation of this Act, any act, speech or words that have 'seditious tendency' can be prosecuted as a criminal offence. The opposition is trying to take advantage and manipulate the issue to cast aspersions on Najib and his actions.

Axolotl: It's actually quite amusing to note that in recent weeks there has been a flood of new Malaysiakini subscribers whose job is to ‘balance up’ the anti-BN sentiments that normally constitute 80-90 percent of the comments.

This is good news for Malaysiakini , but bad news for the rakyat (whose money is being squandered on BN's desperate and dimwitted cyber warfare strategies).

And, ultimately, such clumsy attempts will only serve to convince everyone else that BN has finally reached rock bottom in every sense of the word.

Apa Ini: We couldn't ask for a more succinct reading of the situation in Umno than this article . Thank you RK Anand and Fathi Aris Omar.

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