“Isham is too rash to oppose current UMNO leadership; should learn from fall of Ovaltine, Planta”
BY sticking to his gun, UMNO supreme council member Datuk Isham Jalil has only subjected himself to be fired from his party for making unreasonable demands that UMNO should not have anything to do with DAP.
While it is easy for the former UMNO information chief to air his grouses, veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin reminded Isham that he is neither party’s president not MP and “most importantly, he has not been tried in court for any case”.
“Sacking (disobedient members) has become the party’s daily modus operandi. It may be that more people get fired or resign (from the party) than become members,” penned the national journalism laureate in a recent Facebook post.
“In the simplest language, Isham has made unreasonable demands. If UMNO does not stick with DAP, how will it be part of the government? If it is not part of the government, how would (UMNO president) Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi become Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)?
“If he doesn’t become the DPM, how then could he secure a DNAA (discharge not amounting to an acquittal on a prima facie case?”
In the view of Kadir who himself deserted UMNO after 32 years being “a card-carrying member not because I hate the party but because I don’t want to collude with its evil leaders”, whether UMNO sticks with DAP or otherwise, “as long as it is under the current leadership, it will be difficult to recover.
“If UMNO was as strong as it was before the 2018 general election, then perhaps this can be done (not be seen in cohort with DAP). For example, as bad as the result of the 2013 general election, it could still form a government,” recalled Kadir who has pledged allegiance to Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the aftermath of last year’s 15th General Election (GE15).
“But after the 2018 GE, UMNO-BN (Barisan Nasional) no longer has hope of being on the side of the government if not by usurping power by conspiring with Bersatu, PAS and PKR factions or ‘cohabiting’ with DAP in the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government.”
In fact, Kadir said outcome of the Nov 2 Kemaman parliamentary by-election remained pathetic despite DAP being hardly visible in the entire campaigning process.
“Where was DAP in Kemaman? If there was any, how big was their participation? UMNO lost despite fielding a former general and PH not contesting like in last year’s general election,” he observed. “Voters did not reject the former general. He didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, he had served the country. What the voters rejected was UMNO and its leaders.”
Based on feedback from several senior mainstream media journalists, the PM is already aware of such development, according to Kadir who himself was the former editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times.
“UMNO’s heavy defeat in Kemaman after losing badly in the Aug 12’s state polls reinforce the evidence that it is not a partner that can be expected to attract the support of Malay voters,” asserted Kadir.
“Finally, young Umno leaders and activists who feel they can save the party, should read the story about the fall of Ovaltine and Planta. The old-timers are already well aware of that.” – FocusM Dec 9, 2023
