At the end of any age, the ignorance and arrogance of the inhabitants of that particular society will prove to be its ultimate downfall.

By Delimma

Historians, archaeologists, and all the other historical research freaks always come out with one similar notion about history; that towards the end of a particular era, the civilisation or types of creatures inhabiting a particular period, would be at its most glorious and beautiful. They said that about Pompey, Troy, Rome, Hitler and his Third Reich, and even during the dinosaur age. Could it have been true perhaps that this notion of greatness is also the main reason for it to fall? Atlantis was believed to be well beyond even our present state of the art technology (or so as depicted in many a story and remark) when it literally sunk. Hitler came out with the best and also the first jet powered fighter, tank, artillery and still lost the war.  

What about dinosaurs, the gargantuan creatures we are all still mystified with even today? Dinosaurs lack brains (or so as scientists claimed), but what they lack in brains they compensate with muscle and brawn. The tyrannosaurus rex, mastodon, pterodactyl and the brontosaurus are all legends in this field. Some believed that whatever their strengths, ultimately their ignorance or arrogance caused their downfall when a mammoth meteorite struck the earth millions of years ago to end their reign. 

In this modern age, we can foresee many a thing coming, meteorites and stuff can be detected years away and maybe provide mankind with a glimmer of hope of avoiding the same fate of the dino-no-mino (dinosaurs with no mind). But even amongst mortal men, there are those who believe they have the right to immortality, that they would ascend the thrones of Asgard and Olympus to claim Goddism (if there exists such a word) as their own. We might be mistaken if we believe that such a person might be either insane or not so much as worth our eyebrow’s worth. But in a country like Malaysia, these Goddivas (no relation to the fine chocolate namesake) exist literally in almost all aspects of our lives. They are the political masters and servants who are at present running this country and believe themselves to be Gods, above man and definitely above all Malaysians.

Got it yet? Yes, we are talking about the ruling coalition that has been in power since their so-called democracy cry outbreak in 1946. Three in particular, UMNO, MCA and MIC, have been household names shrinking even the dino-no-monos of late; and as stated many a times in history; are at their best (or worse) prior to their unfortunate extinction.  

Let’s talk about the minors first. MIC has been led by one person over the last three decades or so; crushing any opposition to its Godly rule of law. Historians might pick Malaysia as a good place to study the secret of political longevity. To the MIC is very simple – appoint only those who will die for you and kill anyone who opposes you (no relation to the Altantuya-gate saga). We have seen many Deputy-Presidents come and go, but the chief Kukuana still remains the same man. Despite many a rebellion, including the latest started by the Youth wing (oopps, my mistake – former youth wing); the President still looks as invincible as Odin.  

But what has the MIC grassroots got to say about this? Not much we can presume, judging by the simplicity in which such rebellions are quashed. Maybe its just a coincidence that most MIC members allegedly are too scared to voice out their dissent, or that they too believe their leader to be a God. But the MIC has so far still failed to uplift the standards of living of the very poor Indians. We are not denying there are rich ones, but the poor are getting too many as compared with the rest of them. MIC has also yet to clear its name of alleged graft and mismanagement of MAICA holdings, its investment arm which allegedly lost billions over the years. And honestly, Malaysians too are wondering if the MIC is aware the Indian community is beginning to dig its own moat to keep them out.  

Then there’s the MCA, who before the Team A – Team B war seemed more like a Chinese triad society than what it is today. One new president came in, looked lost and another took his place. This president was hell-bent on revenge and the result is the present PKFZ fiasco, where one of its former chiefs have been charged in court. Now a new president, who seems to be no better than Anwar (save that he purportedly was recorded having a go at his manhood with a girl). Malaysians are puzzled as to why Anwar is charged in court over an allegation made by someone claiming to be one of his ‘victims’ whilst the MCA President is free to continue with his manhood hunt even though he was caught on camera doing it! 

All this could not have fallen on deaf ears or the blind only. The 12th general elections results and many a by-election thereafter clearly indicated the Chinese vote has gone south, and the MCA it seems has ceased to be a relevant force to be reckoned with. Yet, the arrogance of its leadership in claiming gaining ground on Chinese support might be due to their ignorance to this fact, but we can also deduce it is also due to their arrogance of the fact that they feel they belong among the Gods.

And then the masterpiece, or the major league – UMNO. Strange that for a Malay-based party claiming to be fighting for all Malaysians, it has so far proved otherwise. If UMNO is truly Malaysian, then we don’t need the MCA, MIC or other allies in BN to exist, UMNO can do it for all of them. But so far, we can only hear muted cries of equality across the board from UMNO. Instead, we hear warnings and war cries everytime the subject is brought up. Add to that, it is now embroiled in its own battle to exorcise ghosts that have been haunting the party of late. 

The leadership tussles and the hogwash promises are still UMNO’s trademark. Its leaders are behaving like any other dictator under siege by surrounding themselves with boot polishers that only know how to shine their boss’s boots but nothing else. They make huge calls to the people, provide catchy tunes and names for their visions, but at the end of the day, they pass the baton for achieving that vision to the shoe shine boys. 

And due to that, the policies that come out from cabinet meetings are nothing but shoe polish; only meant to reward or pacify a certain group or groups of people, with scant regard for the people or the outcome of the visionary remarks. Thus the new management motto is fast becoming decadence similar to that of the previous Prime Minister’s. And the people are still confused to what it truly means for them. Coupled with that the reports of the return (it never went away anyway) of money politics are punching holes through the President’s claim that UMNO is on a self-cleansing mission. A truly lumbering dinosaur this UMNO is. 

Money politics can never truly be distant when it comes to political parties, anywhere in the world. They might use different guises, but bills for rallies and functions have to be paid from somewhere. Even bills to buy votes as evidenced by a recent newspaper report of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s probe into an ex-MP’s alleged vote buying to get on a bus to the next general assembly need to be paid by someone. But the way in which UMNO has equated that with its legal and rightful status as a God to all Malays is laughable at the very least. 

UMNO might not have evolved into a better party than it was in 1946, but it certainly embraced the new age technology, but for a different purpose. Anybody visiting blogs to view what the chatters are up to nowadays would come across a blog dedicated to arguments about UMNO on money politics. Not eradicating it, but to simply put it, defend it and rationalise it. An argument posted recently even claimed that money politics is necessary and important for UMNO, and that there are people out there, UMNOputras who are jealous of their chosen God and wish to see this person crucified for money politics. 

As we ponder on the maturity age of the chatters and what they have been discussing, we should therefore ask this simple question – if the allegations as reported and confirmed by the MACC is false, then why haven’t the people who are defending their God made a counter report for the matter to be resolved and this person’s name exhumed and cleansed? Who made the report in the first place is still under wraps by the MACC. If the Goddiva defenders are so sure of their God’s purity, why not denounce the whistle-blowers and expose their evil intent?  

At the end of the present dinosaur age, IT has finally dawned upon UMNO, and they should be proud of that. At least they have as they claimed, achieved something other than independence for the country. But unfortunately for this aging brontosaurus, IT is not used for its betterment; rather it is abused for personal highlights, name bashing, character assassinations and defending the very evil that UMNO claims it is against. Whilst its top leaders try in vain day after day claiming UMNO is pure and for the people, its grassroots leaders and members are actually doing the opposite. Instead of focusing on issues close to the Malays like urban and rural poverty, education and healthcare, disparity of income, equality of opportunities and such, UMNO members and leaders at the home level are more concerned about either keeping their posts, invading other people’s houses (divisions as they call it) and getting fat contracts for themselves.  

Why are they still at it when reports after reports and studies after studies are beginning to show it is surely on the road to extinction? Again the scientific findings summarise the correct overview - that at the end of any age, the ignorance and arrogance of the inhabitants of that particular society will prove to be its ultimate downfall. UMNO still believes that the Malays will still vote for it no matter what, that despite its shortcomings and ailments, UMNO is too sentimental for the Malays and some Malaysians that they would still be voted back in time and time again. The last general elections to them was only a blip in their glorious Goddiva history. The Malays in particular anyway, have no other alternative to turn to. Choose Anwar and you get the same crop of people who left UMNO to form another UMNO-like party. Vote for PAS and all evils that Malays sometimes enjoy (even during Ramadhan) would no longer be accessible to them. Could this somehow be actually true? 

This is indeed an intriguing time at the end of the UMNO-led dinosaur age. Whilst many pointers are directing at their exit in the next elections, past general elections results have shown otherwise. The meteorite that was supposed to hit BN in 1999 and 2008 didn’t come full force, it only destroyed certain parts of UMNO-land but not without hard effort and still they are problematic to the new governments ruling the states lost. Thus is it true that in all Malays, there still exist this Goddiva-like fear that if UMNO loses then the Malay cause will fall apart? Are Malays still the one deflecting the imminent meteorite from hitting PWTC head on and thankfully bringing an end to dinosaur days?

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