LIVE TELECAST AND RESPECTING ONE ANOTHER

There is much debate about the recent live telecast of the UMNO General Assembly. Although every matter has its pros and cons but for the benefit of the majority, a live telecast will allow its members to know how their elected representatives behaviour or perform at the assembly. If every member were to attend these assemblies, which rightfully should have been, there will be no place in our country to accomodate them. To avoid all these difficulties, it was restricted to a certain number at the choice of the members themselves. But a live telecast would enable these members to view what have been deliberated and also keep them informed. This thing should be encouraged and maintained to show the transparency of the institution. There have been remarks made by certain quarters as regards to having a live telecast. If there is nothing to hide and if the people attending know what needs to be done within the confines of the law, why deprive the rest who have every right to know what is happening.

The major factor for this dispute were sensitive remarks and actions made at the recent assembly. Every citizen knows his rights and obligations and failure to obey will compel them with a detriment. The UMNO leaders and delegates know these very well. If anyone had gone overboard, he or she should be punished for the crime committed. Raising racial remarks is an offence in our country under the Sedition Act and everyone knows it. Just trying to have an edge in their political career by making racial remarks were really unwarranted. Malaysia is a multi-racial country and these sort of racial remarks will arose racial sentiments among the multi-racial communities which is not good to foster national unity. These so-call leaders were fully aware but still decided to make the outburst or show. The law of the land is very clear on this matter. If it has been sensitive, this person need to be arrested and charged as provided by the law, irrespective of whether he or she is the prime minister, minister or delegate. The secretary-general of UMNO is also at fault. He should have warned their members to respect the law and should have immediately removed this delegate from proceeding further. Nothing of these sort of things were done, so the delegates, for their own selfish benefit, to gain recognisation from their community, continued to raise these sensitive remarks or acts. Racial debate is very argumentive with no party actually achieving anything except disunity. The rakyat on the whole know this but still want to bring them out. The reason for allowing the delegates a free hand was to camourflage the weakness from being exposed, like the Supreme Council Minutes discussing on sabotaging Tun Dr Mahathir, Badawi's corrupt and irresponsible leadership of the country and so forth.

Now, UMNO is faced with a greater crisis. How to convince the non-malays, who are the faithful voters of Barisan Nasional, that it was a misrepresentation of the delegates views. For the coming weeks, leaders would haul delegates for investigation but at the end it will all be just swept under the carpet, in order to keep them supporting the current UMNO leadership. The non-malays know this and will retaliate at the coming polls. But as usual, Barisan Nasional can't afford to displease these rakyat, will offer goodies to calm the situation. Will this help. I feel it would not since the malays have benefitted tremendously and have reflected their unfaithfulness. It seems that the UMNOputras could say and express anything but when a non-malay says or express anything in favour of their own community, immediate action is taken.

Its now up to the government, majority of them UMNOputras to take action. Things have already been committed and cannot be rectified. The law of the land has to be adhered to. Will it be done? Will the UMNOputras ever learn from this incident?