‘Feudal’ Umno must discard Islam to remain relevant


Modern or younger Malaysians — Malays, Muslims or otherwise — no longer want feudalism. They want secularism. Multiculturalism is a nice way of saying ‘No Islam!’. And the monarchy plus the Sharia will also no longer have a place in this New Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak, for sure, do not want Islam and Bahasa Malaysia, as what the MA63 stipulates (and which Sabah and Sarawak want restored).

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The message from dissenters in Umno, plus those who have left the party since May 2018, and the many more who will be leaving over the next few weeks, is that Umno is no longer relevant to the younger generation of Malaysians.

As far back as 1999, soon after the November general election or GE10, we had already said that, in time, the younger generation are going to oust Umno and Barisan Nasional. Going by the results of the saluran, the old generation was still voting Umno while the younger generation was voting opposition. Barisan garnered 56% of the votes while the opposition got 40%.

Almost ten years later in 2008, Barisan garnered only 51% of the votes.

Another ten years later, in May 2018, Barisan’s votes touched an all-time low of 33%.

Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan lost their market over the last 30 years when old Malaysians died and were replaced by young Malaysians at the rate of 5:1

They say this is because Malaysians were fed-up of the corruption and abuse of power and that is why they kicked Umno and Barisan Nasional out.

That is not entirely true. There was as much, or more, corruption and abuse of power from 1981 to 2004. Why did the voters not kick out Umno and Barisan Nasional in 1986, or 1990, or 1995, or 1999, or 2004, or 2008, or 2013? Why wait more than 30 years later till 2018 to kick out Umno and Barisan Nasional?

In 1986, there were only 4.6 million voters. In 1990, 5.6 million. In 1996, 6 million. In 1999, 6.5 million. In 2004, 7 million. In 2008, 8 million. In 2013, 11 million. And in 2018 it was 12 million voters.

So, over the last 32 years, the voters increased from 4.6 million to 5.6 million to 6 million to 6.5 million to 7 million to 8 million to 11 million and finally to 12 million. Invariably, these were new voters, meaning younger voters.

The young Malaysians born since the 1980s do not share the same values as the older Malaysians, many who have since died

Over those 32 years, many of the older voters died. So, the increase in voters from 4.6 million to 12 million are younger voters minus the older dead voters. Roughly, while about 500,000 Malaysians are born every year, more than 100,000 Malaysians die. Hence, over 32 years, 15 million Malaysians were born while about 4 million died. And that can roughly work out to 8 million new voters while about 3 million old voters ‘go away’.

Around 20 years ago, in 1999, this was what we figured out. In time, the voting trend will change when old voters die and new voters take their place. And, when that happens, feudalism, parochialism and sectarianism will no longer be relevant.

Feudalism, parochialism and sectarianism worked 60-70 years ago back in the 1940s and 1950s. That was the foundation of Umno. That was the platform for the fight for Merdeka. That was how Malaya was born. That was even how PAS came into being.

It is not abuse of power and corruption that will trigger Umno’s death but feudalism, parochialism and sectarianism, which have no place in the New Malaysia

Today, it is a new and different world. But Umno is still stuck in the old world. And that was why we saw what we saw in May 2018.

People like Khairy Jamaluddin and many other leaders from both sides of the political divide are saying things. They are almost right but they are scared of calling a spade a spade. They talk about multiculturalism and so on. Why don’t they honestly say what the problem is?

Modern or younger Malaysians — Malays, Muslims or otherwise — no longer want feudalism. They want secularism. Multiculturalism is a nice way of saying ‘No Islam!’. And the monarchy plus the Sharia will also no longer have a place in this New Malaysia. Sabah and Sarawak, for sure, do not want Islam and Bahasa Malaysia, as what the MA63 stipulates (and which Sabah and Sarawak want restored).

DAP’s Charles Santiago said, “They’ve made it seem like their version of Islam is the one true interpretation. It’s not. This is why you need to keep them in check. At the end of the day, PAS calls the shots.”

Sabah and Sarawak will demand multiculturalism and secularism plus the restoration of the MA63

In other words, now that Umno is practically dead, it is time to kill PAS. And once Umno and PAS are both dead, feudalism, parochialism, sectarianism, nationalism, Islamisation, etc., will be replaced with multiculturalism and secularism. Then Umno and PAS can be buried for good because their values no longer fit the New Malaysia.

Hence it does not really matter who leads Umno. As long as Umno still stands for perjuangan Melayu, Ketuanan Melayu and Islam, it is no longer relevant. That is the reality of the New Malaysia. Islam, feudalism, parochialism, sectarianism, etc., have no place in the New Malaysia. That is the message 50% of Malaysians sent to Umno on 9th May 2018.

Are we going to see Malaysians divided into democrats and republicans in time to come? That may yet happen. And, if it does, parties like Umno and PAS will hardly have any market left. And the dual-judicial system and Sharia laws will also have to go. That is the reality of the modern world and the future of the New Malaysia.

 



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