Will Umno turn fascist?
In the aftermath of unprecedented and humiliating defeats in five states and the Federal Territory, will Umno resort to fascism to revive?
That's the concern of author and researcher Dr Ooi Kee Beng at the launching of his new book entitled ‘Lost in Transition: Malaysia under Abdullah’ in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Quote:
“Umno is like (Taiwan’s) Kuomintang (KMT) and other parties in the region who were responsible for independence and a lot of these parties had to reform itself like the KMT - a once dictatorial party is a totally a new party today with the same name.
“It is not given that if Umno reforms itself, it would reform like how KMT did - meaning liberalise and play the democratic game. Fascism is always close at hand.
“We don’t want that to be encouraged. We should work to not crush Umno but help it along in its reforming process,” he told the audience.
Kee Beng is a fellow at the Institute of South East Asian studies in Singapore.
The book is a compilation of articles he wrote on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s governance in the last two year. It is a follow up to his 2006 book, ‘Era of Transition: Malaysia After Mahathir’, which analysed Umno and tests faced by Abdullah after taking over his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
FASCIST. Look out for potential fascists here, and while the Abdullah Administration is attempting to prosecute non-Muslims for khalwat, lawyer/blogger Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has a piece: A test for the Reform Cabinet.
Comments
You can be fascists(no face also can) or whatever you want to be umno, as long as violence does not come into the picture. Let us debate, discuss, negotiate until we get a solution or until the cows come home. NEVER must violence come into the equation. I believe this is the rakyat's wish.
Posted by: joehancl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 5, 2008 09:24 PM
UMNO has, for much of its later history, bore qualities of fascism, advocating favoritism towards a specific ethnic group, strong patriotism and imposing authoritarian leadership on the country since Dr M's year. To state UMNO will turn fascist is a bit too late.
Posted by: Burung Merpati![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 6, 2008 12:30 AM
UMNO is macam wounded hyena...when in a corner...facing annihilation...they will fight with all their might...
they will claw...spit and bite...facism will be just one of many venomous tactics used..
what else can UMNO do? with institutionalised corruption right thru its core...and incompetent leadership...facism will be a perfect strategy to drum up support from the remaining UMNO diehards...too scared to let go of a sinking ship...as the personal losses will be too much to bear...
what have they got to lose?
they have lost the support of the rakyat... and they do not care what happens to the country anyways...
facism will be their last ditch attempt...a rich and explosive cocktail of race and religious sentiments...which will set the nation alight...
except this time...grassroot malaysians r too wise and having woken up to the abuse and pillaging of BN all these years WILL not buy into their facist tactics...and condemn the current leadership to oblivion...
that is my observation...and hope for our new nation...
there is a hope...a hope for malaysia without the corruption and abuse of power...it will take a while...but it will come...
Posted by: inspirasi![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 6, 2008 03:47 PM
Jeff,
Why busy body on UMNO?
You are now a member of parliment and start act & work to help the people. Let UMNO rot in peace.
JEFF OOI says: Umno dictates the destiny of the country the way it dictated the last 50 years. We have a stake in modern Malaysia but we don't want to rot together with them.
Posted by: orang johor![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 10, 2008 09:39 AM