By P Ramakrishnan
Ahmad Faizal went from Umno to Bersatu, from BN to PH to PN. Even frogs are ashamed that this species has been named after the amphibians. What we know is that these desperate opportunistic politicians frog from one party to another and on to the next, in search of opportunities, they always retain their Umno genetic material.
You may desert Umno but the Umno DNA doesn’t desert you. It sticks with you wherever you go or whichever party you join. It becomes part of you forever!
When Bersatu deputy president, Ahmad Faizal Azumu, questioned would the country get a finance minister from DAP again if Pakatan Harapan wins the 15th general election (GE15), you must be wondering why Bersatu is adopting this line of questioning. This is blatant racial politics. It is only expected of an Umno member, not someone from Bersatu.
But who is Ahmad Faizal Azumu? His history betrays him. An Umno member, he was the former United Malays National Organisation (Umno) Ipoh Barat Youth chief (2016-17).
So, you shouldn’t be shocked. He carried his Umno DNA with him when he went over to Bersatu.
When the question is raised whether someone from DAP will be appointed as the Minister of Finance, what is blatantly meant is whether a Chinese will be appointed. They couch their evil intentions by trying to be vague about their racial politics.
If, for example, a Chinese from PKR is appointed as finance minister, will they still question why a finance minister is appointed from PKR? Their objection is not the party, but the ethnicity of the person appointed as finance minister.
Initially, when Lim Guan Eng was appointed finance minister, there was also objection because that portfolio did not go to a Malay. Why the obsession that this ministerial post should go to a Malay? Will there be an added advantage to the Malay community?
Guan Eng’s predecessor was not only a Malay, but was also a Muslim, and on top of that he was also the Prime Minister of Malaysia. How did it help the poor Malays? What benefits did they derive during his tenure as finance minister?
Najib pillaged and looted and stole from the wealth of the nation without any qualms. He did not share what he stole with the poor Malays. In fact, Najib’s action has made the nation poorer and we are burdened with the debt that he created by borrowing.
Robbing your own home is a sin that cannot be forgiven. The moment you rob your home, you cease to be a member of the family. You become a common thief. That’s what Najib became. He was a Muslim, a Malay and a top leader of Umno, but he stole billions of ringgit from the nation all for himself – he didn’t spare anything for the poor Malay whom he claimed to represent and protect.
In the name of the community, under the pretext of fighting for the welfare of the downtrodden poor Malays, Umno leaders stole and kept the loot for themselves. This is the DNA of Umno leaders – stealing, cheating, never satisfied with the wealth they had accumulated, unending greed, unjust and unfair, discriminatory, etc.
Shouldn’t we be concerned about the qualification of the person, his integrity, his ability to deliver the goods so that the nation and the people will prosper?
Demanding that the finance minister must be a Malay is but a blind and stupid quest. Why is it so important that the finance minister be a Malay? What is the rationale? What is the justification? This has neither been explained nor clarified nor even justified.
We should reject chauvinists from whatever ethnicity they come from or whatever party they belong to. Racial politics has its roots in Umno. You must uproot this problem and the only way to do it is to destroy Umno.
The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rebuilding Malaysia.)
First published in Aliran on 8 November 2022
P Ramakrishnan is the long-serving former president of Aliran who served three and a half decades on its executive committee, and has been with Aliran since its inception in 1977. Now an ordinary Aliran member, he continues to highlight issues of public interest to a larger audience.