| Leaders tell Umno not to get distracted by Anwar issue
They call on members to focus instead on the welfare of Malays and the nation at general assembly By Leslie Lau
KUALA LUMPUR - As Malaysia's ruling Umno party prepares for its annual general assembly this week, the message from senior leaders to members is clear: Do not be sidetracked by the subject of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Yesterday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also urged Malays to wean themselves off their fascination with political intrigue and conspiracy theories, especially since the release of the former deputy premier from jail earlier this month.
Datuk Seri Anwar's surprise release after he was acquitted of sodomy charges has been grist to the country's rumour mill already on overdrive because of the upcoming elections at the assembly. There has been widespread speculation about his future role in politics. And despite his and the Prime Minister's denial of a deal to allow him back into Umno, the issue is threatening to outshine Datuk Seri Abdullah's first address as party president. Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Saturday: 'We do not want the general assembly to be sidetracked by one issue over one individual. 'It is a platform to discuss party issues, the Malay race and the country in general.' Datuk Seri Abdullah and Datuk Seri Najib will be officially confirmed as Umno president and deputy president respectively at the assembly after securing their posts without any contest. There is, however, intense jostling for the other senior positions of vice-presidents and for seats in the party's decision-making supreme council. The campaign has been marked by Datuk Seri Abdullah's crackdown on graft and attempts to use money to buy the votes of some 2,500 party delegates in the Umno polls on Wednesday. In an interview with the Umno-controlled Utusan Malaysia daily yesterday, Datuk Seri Abdullah echoed a line from his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. That line is: The Malay community is still not self-reliant in business and education, especially when compared with the Chinese minority. 'We have the same schools, same books, same libraries, same teachers, same syllabus, but how is it we are not as successful as them?' he asked. During his regular attendance at school prize-giving ceremonies and university convocations, he also witnessed another sobering example of the performance of Malays in school. 'I see many Malay students and not many non-Malays. But when it comes to receiving prizes, there are many non-Malays and very few Malays,' he said. The Prime Minister criticised the penchant among some Malays for political conspiracies, pointing out that the community wasted a lot of its time on speculation instead of working to improve themselves and becoming more competitive. 'If the time used for thinking up all sorts of theories, to write poison-pen letters and send SMS to thousands of people is used to improve yourself, is that not better?' he asked. Datuk Seri Abdullah said he had no answers to the question of why Datuk Seri Anwar's release had alarmed Umno circles and fuelled theories of intrigue. Umno won its strongest electoral victory in the general election in March, he noted, adding: 'Maybe there are some people who are used to Anwar who feel happy. But Umno is ever ready to face any changing situation. 'We may be a little slow. There are some who are in a hurry for reform, but it is easy to talk,' he said in a reference to Datuk Seri Anwar's trademark call for political reforms in Malaysia. Since taking over as Prime Minister less than a year ago, Datuk Seri Abdullah has transformed Malaysia with a crackdown on graft and an emphasis on transparency. These are popular policies that have earned him grudging respect from the opposition and even Datuk Seri Anwar. |
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