UMNO - ITS DARKNESS APPEARS, WILL IT SURVIVE WITH TUN DR MAHATHIR'S DEPARTURE AND DATUK SERI ABDULLAH'S WEAK LEADERSHIP ?

UMNO or UMNO Baru as it was known after the deregistration of the original UMNO formed in 1946, saw the departure of its founder and No. 1 member, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today which SHOCKED Malaysians and most of all, the current UMNO leadership headed by Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

It need to be noted that Tun Dr Mahathir is a very calculative man and he had hoped that with his resignation, UMNO members nation-wide will follow him and subscribe to his motives. There are many reasons for his sudden resignation, namely:

1. Tun Dr Mahathir had extensively demanded UMNO President and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's immediate resignation and had been criticising him in every way he deemed fit. But least did he expect that his successor would hold the fort effectively and with his 'power' at hand, UMNOputras fully support him undividedly, which Tun Dr Mahathir had least expected could happen.

2. To 'mildly' attack Tun Dr Mahathir under the belt, the federal government allowed the Lingam Video Scandal Royal Commission Report public recently, which really implicates Tun Dr Mahathir as a 'irresponsible and incapable' leader since he can be manoeuvred by his cronies in decision making which indirectly undermines his 22 years tenure in office.

3. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had broken his 'promise' before been hand-picked to succeed Tun Dr Mahathir. What were the oral agreed terms can be speculated which Datuk Seri Abdullah had refused to honour. Datuk Seri Abdullah may have his reasons but Tun Dr Mahathir need to realise that he too during his tenure had not been sympathetic towards his 'enemies'.

It may seem that the future political struggle of Tun Dr Mahathir would deminish since being a non-member, he will no longer have the backing of the UMNOputras since they would deem him as an 'outsider' and if Tun Dr Mahathir persist in his struggle, he may even be jailed under the Internal Security Act (ISA) which he created, to completely shut him up once and for all.

But whatever the circumstances, its clear that Tun Dr Mahathir is on the losing side, the possibility of him been charged for the Lingam Video Scandal is so evident, which would eventually discredit him permanently.

The best thing now for Tun Dr Mahathir is to accept that he has finally 'retired' and keep his gap shut.

As there is a saying, "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction".

If Tun Dr Mahathir continues persistently, the likelyhood maybe UMNO which he foundered may be deregistered once again and the UMNOputras will lose a platform to demand for the 'rights' which currently is been questioned by the non-bumiputra population.

photo courtesy of Malaysiakini