NST being brave on Maznah

I started a poll on the Wanita Umno chief race about 24 hours ago.

As you may observe on the top right corner of this page, Datuk Maznah Mazlan had surged ahead of her rivals, incumbent DS Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Raihan Sulaiman.

As I'm writing this, Maznah received 85 per cent of the 215 votes casted so far, ahead of Raihan's 12 per cent and Shahrizat's 2 per cent.

But this is still early days as the poll will run for another 10 days.

Maybe Shahrizat's supporters will come to this blog in huge number in the coming days and set things right for her. I hope they do.

I still think that she is going to win despite Maznah's very good start in my poll and support from people like myself.

Anyway, Maznah also appeared to be getting some subtle support from the sole genuinely pro-establishment English newspaper in this country, the NST.

You may read this article by the newspaper's main Sunday political columnist Shamsul Akmar (pic) here,

Maznah's not your typical 'makcik'

Excerpts of the article which I particularly like,

Further, what has been developing since before the general election and in this run-up to the party election, is a major disconnect between the Umno leadership and its grassroots.

Or has the Umno leadership taken for granted scandals, perceived or otherwise, that are associated with some of its leaders which had wide and far-reaching impact, and that its failure to take quick and decisive measures, had subjected party members to ridicule and contempt?

While the top two Umno leaders -- the president and deputy president -- are spared from being challenged, the vice-presidencies and other posts are being contested all the way down to the branches. Is this an expression of discontent albeit members exercising their democratic rights?

Whether the Umno leadership wants to recognise it or not, there is a sense of helplessness among members and Malay/Bumiputera supporters who feel that it lacked the urgency and probably even the ability to deal with the suffocating political environment which had been felt since before the general election.

That's rather brave of the NST to publish the article, especially the last paragraph there. The editors do not even seem to care about the fact that Shahrizat, the incumbent being said to be the preferred choice of the Umno leadership.

You may read a sample of that part about  the "sense of helplessness" among members and Malay/Bumiputera supporters as mentioned by Shamsul Akmar in this posting by a blogger who used to be very pro-Umno and pro-BN,
Nauseating

That should explain why challengers who are going against incumbents preferred by the party leadership such as Maznah and vice-president candidate Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir appeared popular in polls such as those in this blog.

Anyway, here is another article published recently in NST which suggested that the newspaper is indeed seem to be quite favorable of Maznah's candidacy, or at least for Shahrizat to be challenged,

Pahang women amaze us with graceful moves 

End of VP poll, start of Wanita poll

I started a poll on who should be a vice-president of Umno on Sept 5.

At that time, the confirmed contenders were the three incumbent vice-presidents and two challengers, both who are former vice-presidents.

I was hoping for another guy to join the race and included him in the list of contenders. That guy did just that in the end.

The poll closed just minutes ago as I started writing this.

There were a total 1,124 votes. Everyone who took part was allowed only one vote.

At the top is,

Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir with 838 votes (74 per cent),

followed by,

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with 150 votes (13 per cent),

Former Malacca chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam with 67 votes (5 per cent),

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein with 29 votes (2 per cent),

Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal with 25 votes (2 per cent) and

Former Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Tan Sri Isa Samad with 15 votes (1 per cent).

I don't think I have to analyze the results. The figures speak for itself as to who are the more favored by readers of this blog to be an Umno vice-president.

I'm going to keep the results of the poll where it is until the actual voting day on Oct 19.

In addition to that, I'm starting a new poll on the election of top Wanita Umno post.

The poll will close two days before the election of Umno's wings on Oct 12.

You may cast your vote on the top right corner of this page.

Hello darkness, my old friend

Today I met an old friend who knows I'm running this blog.

He said based on my writings these days, I'm not my usual self anymore.

I'm too serious, he said.

In fact, he said I'm more serious these days compared to before I started writing in this blog.

"You used to be a more fun person. Now, you are just too serious that if I don't know you, I might be a bit scared of you," he said.

I guess he is right about part of it. I do tend to take things more seriously these days. But I don't think it's because of writing in this blog.

I think it's the other way around. The problem is me, and not this blog.

I know I'm becoming less easy going these days. Maybe because I'm getting older or maybe because things that happened around me of late have turned me into a more skeptical person.

In the first place, I had not intended this blog to be a serious sopo blog. My postings are mostly just my spontaneous reactions to events or things which I came across in the cyberspace or happenings around me.

I hardly plan or do in-depth research whenever I feel like posting anything.

For instance, when I decided to support Mukhriz Mahathir, it was just because I think he is the only logical choice to lead a new generation of Umno leaders. It's basically just my gut feeling. I never claim it to be otherwise. I'm indeed not some super duper political analyst or writer.

It may be hard for you to believe, but I never even think of supporting Mukhriz because he is the son of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mukhriz doesn't even know who I am and likely doesn't even know of my support for him. I'm also not likely to directly benefit from my support for him.

It was the same when I supported Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman before his retirement from politics.

I support these guys simply because I think that they are good fellas. Nothing more, nothing less. My conscience is clear as far as my support for them is concerned.

As I had explained earlier, I don't really plan what I'm going to write. I just write according to how I feel about things.

This posting, for instence, clearly doesn't have a proper agenda. I just started writing it because I feel like doing so. Whatever which comes out from my mind, I just let it flow on to this page.

I never planned how it will come out or even how the ending will be.

I did most of my previous postings like this.

It's just the way I am these days.

Okay, enough lah....I'm starting to feel sleepy. It is past midnight already.

BTW, I'm missing someone tonight. Probably that's why I'm writing aimlessly in this posting so that I could just bury that pathetic thought. It's pathetic to miss someone who doesn't really give a shit about how we feel.

I know, stupid me.

Well, never mind.

Eh, here is some nice music instead,

Good night

Al-Fatihah

I learned of the passing of Ustaz Azizan via this SMS alert by NST which I received earlier today,

NST 26/09 Former Kedah MB Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak passed away at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital at 11.15am today, confirms MB Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

Al-Fatihah

My heartfelt condolences for Azizan's family.

It is good that Mukhriz is the one who officially confirmed the passing of Azizan as what it should be when a former state leader dies and his successor being the one who makes it known to the public.

At a moment of bereavement like this, we need to set aside our political differences.

It has always been good to note that the rift between the Malays in Kedah has never been too severe despite the intense political battle between Umno and Pas from the run up to the 2008 GE until the post 2013 GE now.

The transition of power from Umno to Pas and back to Umno was relatively smooth with the exceptions of minor incidences.

Credit should be given to the moderate Malay leaders of the State, Azizan for Pas and Mukhriz for Umno.

True, they were some extreme elements on both sides but Azizan and later Mukhriz managed to rein them in and prevent things from getting too disruptive.

I'm not saying that everything were nice and rosy, but at least the Umno-Pas tussle in Kedah is nothing like those in Kelantan or Terengganu.

It was heart warming to note that Mukhriz had regularly visited the then hospitalized Azizan.

It's the respect given by a younger man to his elder, by a successor to his predecessor.

The respect accorded to Azizan by Mukhriz was well placed as the Pas leader had been a fair Menteri Besar and treated everyone, including the Umno people in the State with no prejudice.

He was so fair, that some Pas people rebelled against him and accused him of being too sympathetic to Umno people. They had even tried to topple Azizan for it.

Partly in response to that, Mukhriz apparently ensured the continuity of several good State government's policies initiated by Azizan. He didn't totally dismantle everything laid down by the Azizan's administration.

Azizan will be best remembered for being a good person and leader who tried his best for his fellow Kedahans.

May Allah placed him among the righteous.

When a pro-Pakatan news portal tries to be neutral

The pro-Pakatan Free Malaysia Today sometimes let through some articles which were relatively fair to the establishment and the ruling coalition.

This is one of such articles,

'Umno more democratic than DAP'

Excerpts from the article :

Sensible & Ethical Malaysian United Team (Semut) president Huan Cheng Guan said unlike the DAP, Umno has held direct elections with, for and by members for all positions in the party.

In the DAP however, he said office-bearers were chosen by a 20-member central executive committee (CEC), which had been elected by delegates.

Compared to DAP, he said Umno does not sack any member without holding an internal inquiry, in which the affected person would be given all avenues to defend.

But, he said scores of DAP members had been expelled without even showcause letters.

Between 1968 until today, he pointed out that Umno had had six presidents, while the DAP only lived under a single dynastic rule.

During the same period, he said Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang had held a world record by commanding a party for 45 years, including the 27 years as its secretary-general.

Huan cited the political saga of Kerk Kim Hock, former DAP secretary-general, as a fine example of Lim Dynasty’s hegemony.

He further said that Kit Siang wants to place his son, Guan Eng, in the strongest position possible to continue their family dynasty in the DAP.

Of course, readers of FMT who are mostly Pakatan people were not happy, Here are some of their reactions (they even called the FMT writer Athi Shankar a paid BN's dog),

Will Wallace ·  Top Commenter

Come on FMT, why are you thinking that we might be interested in what this semut guy has to say? Are you forgoing your readership in exchange for some quick bucks from semut?

Mariya Kamarin ·  Top Commenter

Athi Shankar probably received few toddy bottles in return for writing this article. The same reporter who claimed that the collapsed Penang Bridge was Pakatan's project.

Will Wallace ·  Top Commenter

Thanks for the heads up, Mariya. I know Athi Shankar real name is Karunagaran, a paid BN dog. But FMT do have Mariam Mokhtar, so its a balance news we are getting. FMT feeding us grandma stories about MCA is one thing.....but feeding us the opinion of this semut guy is too much.

Mariya Kamarin ·  Top Commenter

Yes, so I heard. He has got his own hate page on Facebook!

Then again there are the sensible few, such as this guy

Nile Bowie ·  Top Commenter · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I've been less than impressed with the performance of BN since they claimed victory in GE13, but Najib's decision to democratize the UMNO party elections is something that those champions of democracy in the opposition should have set an example by doing long ago. Unfortunately, it looks like this is Najib's most substantial reform thus far, which doesn't say a great deal, but credit should be given where credit is due.

Heat wave, fever and a broken heart (no politics)

There was a heat wave today.

And I'm sick again.

I think it's viral fever, this time.

All my muscles seem tightened up and my joints were damn painful.

Too weak to drive and see a doctor earlier today.

So, I applied that Japanese minyak urat Yoko-Yoko all over my body, took some painkillers and tried to go to sleep.

My whole body felt like burning and the heat wave outside made it worse, but at least the muscle and joints pains eased off a bit.

Managed to sleep for several hours and when I woke up, I felt a bit better.

Need to finish the works which I took home yesterday.

Need to also update my CV. Someone is offering me a job. Hopefully the pay is better.

Politics? Don't feel like writing it for today.

Sometimes I also need a break from all the nonsense.

Will see a doctor tomorrow.

A bit of music for tonight,

Girls, play the guitar yourself.

Don't wait for the guys. They are all quite useless, actually. Be nice to them and they will just break your heart.

Five against one - Mukhriz needs to do an Ip Man

The way I see it, the Umno vice-presidential race is all about Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir against three incumbents and two former vice-presidents.

The incumbents, DS Hishammuddin Hussein, DS Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and DS Shafie Apdal had clearly shown their card on nomination day.

They are going into the fight as a trio tag team to defend the status quo.

I believe their objective is none other than to squish Mukhriz by utilizing their combined "resources".

They know, the other challengers, former vice-presidents DS Mohd Ali Rustam and Tan Sri Isa Samad are no real threat to them.

I believe the duo can easily be "kow tim"ed at a later stage or probably it's done deals already.

Now, why do the incumbents need to collectively agree to help each other?

Zahid, by right, do not need such an arrangement as he is in the strongest position among the trio.

But he is the oldest at 60.

His chance to move further up the hierarchy once deputy president TS Muhyiddin Yassin retires at the end of this term will be seriously affected by the presence of Mukhriz as a fellow vice-president.

Hishammuddin needs the alliance more than Zahid and Shafie. Despite having a strong machinery built up since he was the Youth chief, Hishammuddin knows that he is the weakest among the incumbents due to several blunders that he made in the past which had caused his popular ratings to plummet quite badly.

Hishammuddin needs Zahid and Shafie to back him up as even being supported by incumbent Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin will not be good enough for him to stand on his own. For those uninitiated, Hishammuddin was the one who pushed everyone aside to make way for Khairy to be his deputy when he was the Youth chief as a gesture to win favor with the young man's father-in-law who was then the party president and Prime Minister.

Now, if the tag team strategy works, Hishammuddin will stand a chance to  accompany Zahid to move further up in later years.

Shafie is the Sabah man. He needs to be in the incumbents tag team to solidify his position, especially in winning votes from the divisions in the Peninsular.

Shafie is still at risk with Mukhriz in the race.

This was even so despite the delegates being likely to want a representative from Sabah as a vice-president. Sabah is a key safe deposit of Umno and Barisan Nasional.

As for Isa and Mohd Ali, if they are to proceed with their challenge, I believe they may likely design their strategy in such a way so that it may break up the votes which will go against the three incumbents. I believe a deal could be made on this one.

Realistically, Mukhriz doesn't stand a chance.

I know, it's frustrating, especially for all those Ansara guys. But that's the reality of this vice-presidents' race.

The odds are really stacked up against Mukhriz now.

Yes, I have seen others beating an even worse odds such as Ip Man here,

One against ten and he won. But that is in a movie.

Well, unless some miracles happened.

Maybe Mukhriz can do something like Ip Man.

Who knows, that sorts of things do happened from time to time.

Semuanya atas kehendak Allah.

Maznah the saviour

I remember Datuk Maznah Mazlan most for an incident at a function in Kuantan many years ago.

I was singing on stage and she was laughing so hard because of it that her face turned very red.

You see, I'm actually tone deaf and can't sing at all. However, I was forced to perform a number for that function by everyone present and when I obliged, it turned into a comedy horror show.

It was a dangdut song, complete with a bit of dancing.

Maznah and her husband were guest of honor at that function.

My impression of her at that time was that she is a pleasant and very sporting lady.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly shocked when it turned out that she is challenging Wanita chief incumbent DS Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Her nomination papers were filed just 10 minutes before the closing of Umno election nomination process.

I guess she had wanted to avoid being pressured by certain quarters not to contest against Shahrizat.

I pray that she will stay the course.

If not for her candidacy, I would had written off Wanita Umno.

The other contender for the post is Raihan Sulaiman, a feather weight candidate who is not a serious contender at all.

Maznah, who is a loyalist of former Wanita chief DS Rafidah Aziz on the other hand is a really credible candidate and have a support base of her own within the movement.

She is in fact even more credible as a challenger than former Puteri chief DS Azalina Othman who had earlier voiced her intention to challenge Shahrizat but pulled out a few days ago.

Even if Maznah eventually lose in this contest, at least her candidacy would dispel the perception that Wanita is a movement devoid of credible leaders that it has to accept Shahrizat as being the only choice to led it.

Meanwhile, the three Umno vice-president incumbents have formed an alliance to maintain the status quo.

DS Hishammudin Hussein, DS Shafie Apdal and DS Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tried to deny that they will be working as a team but even a person with only half a brain would know that they were just so full of shit when they said that.

It was so obvious.

And their target is definitely Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

I will write about this in detail in my next posting.

Glam PM if Mukhriz is defeated

Just reached home from work. It's almost midnight.

Tired.

Have not been keeping myself updated with what's happening as I have been too occupied with work.

All I know is that the political scene is full of stories about the Umno elections.

But all I'm really interested in is Mukhriz going for the vice-president's post. The rest were rather dull to me.

What are there to be excited about with the same old faces jostling for positions.

Then there were Khairy and Shahrizat being challenged by small fries which I think were rather pathetic of the Youth and Wanita wings.

The other BN component parties are also having their elections soon but their news seem totally overshadowed by those of Umno's.

On the other side are the DAP and Pas elections but all the news coming from them have been rather mundane.

PKR has the best story from the Pakatan's side though - DS Anwar Ibrahim look young and dandy again. The Pakatan media handlers had claimed that he look like that after suffering some sorts of allergy.

I guess it is something like when the late Michael Jackson said he looked white because he suffered some skin ailment and not because he had some skin whitening treatment.

Okay lah, at least we can have a rejuvenated Malaysian Michael Jackson prime minister in future if Mukhriz failed to win and rejuvenate Umno, causing the party to die of old age.

What Pakatan people think of Mukhriz

So, Mukhriz has finally announced that he is contesting the Umno vice-presidency.

Alhamdulillah.

As you can see on the right corner of this page, my poll on who should be an Umno vice-president shows that Mukhriz has so far received five times more votes than his nearest rival incumbent DS Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

It may not be the best indicator of how the Umno delegates will vote for their vice-presidents in the party elections next month, but I think it roughly shows how much ordinary supporters of Umno, including the non-members like me would like the party to rejuvenate itself by electing Mukhriz.

Mukhriz had gave a glimpse of his vision in an interview with NST which was published on Malaysia Day.

I posted part of that interview here

An interview with Mukhriz

The interview was also published in full by the pro-Pakatan Malaysia Chronicles and the most interesting thing is how readers of the website, whom I believe are all Pakatan supporters reacted to what Mukhriz said in the interview.

I think the possibility of Mukhriz being a top Umno leader worries them quite a bit.

Here are among the comments of the Pakatan people about Mukhriz in the interview which headline was 'I am here to chart a new course'

Ahmad Fuad ·  Top commenter

A new course - golf course with many holes of wealth.

Vi Qiong ·  Top commenter · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Cannot even grow hair on his head.

Tan Datuk ·  Top commenter

Wow. Inter course? Creating Another group of umno baru new billionaires?

Mano Maniam

Mr. Morgan, he will definitely chicken out!

Steve Siew Thean Moh ·  Top commenter · Sultan Abdul Hamid College

Hi botak if u r true 2 Kedahan n urself y must u employ or use ppls fr Umno, only ppls fr yr party r better ? Ppls fr Umno r abusive,corrupt n arrogant.Honesty r earned not by giving comments, faham ke...

Morgan Pekchan ·  Top commenter · Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abi

Five years under PAS rule , no improvement and messy . Then how about all this while under BN rule why only now you want to do something to improve Kedah. What about the shit mess you morons did to Selangor and Penang before the 2008 election. When you idiots talk about other peoples mess , why not also talk about your own Umno mess in Selangor . If you are a gentleman why not come out for an open debate with anyone of Pakatan leaders in-regards to the mess that you are talking about. Last but not least be prepared to also debate about the worst shit mess your father did during his tenure to our country.

George Lim ·  Top commenter · Consultant at Chow Kong Paradise Sdn Bhd

Wah...with so much 'Daddykasi' to your Career...and an assured place into the scUMNO top hierarchy...some more want to 'chart' a new course for BN ah...? Sounds good, man but with so much $$$ you got...why don't you go for a brain-transplant first...? Equip yourself with one (maybe Jewish ) brain 1st...then, you can talk sense !!!

No doubt...your old man Kutty promised to give you the PM post...but he's getting senile and crankier that he may want the post for himself (knowing how stupid & useless you are...)...Methinks he already got himself some youngmen's blood transfusion to keep him going...!!!

Eizal Ismail

Grow your hair first !

heong Seng Keong ·  Top commenter

He will make Kedah as barren as his head in no time.

Chua Boon Heng ·  Top commenter

Talk only lah. Let see how he end corruption in Kedah.

Eddie See ·  Top commenter · 361 subscribers

For whom, botak?

Jacque Mohd ·  Top commenter · DRAKE UNIVERSITY, Des Moines, Iowa

Yeah right! Your dad's main "course" was squandering RM100 billion. This is what the late Berry Wain said. And now you want to chat another new main "course" out of the peoples' money? Like father like son.

ok Chee Leaw ·  Top commenter · Warwick Alumni

What kind of cowdung interview is this? Putting words into his mouth and putting cowdung into Pakatan Rakyat's mouth? You gave him the question in advance, he provided the answers unedited and you publish it without even editing? WTF!!!

Klinik Nova (signed in using Hotmail)

nuts

Dominic Ho Kim Hui ·  Top commenter · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The approach may differ that from old fart kutty mamak. his father but the final outcome is all the same . Anyone serious enough to believe him? No. I don`t . Not the slightest bit !

Ashraf Ali ·  Top commenter

Mukhriz has this bad habit of leaving his sentences hanging in the air.

Let me complete his sentence for him, "I'm here to chart a new course BUT IT WILL BASED ON THE PROVEN METHODS OF MY DADDY BOY WHO JUST HAPPENS TO BE A TRANT !"

Last days, don't be sad

Today I need to shut down and be at peace.

You all may instead listen to this boy sings to understand that life can be beautiful if we want to appreciate what we have instead of taking them for granted.

How dead evil men should be handled

There was once this man,

His name is Pol Pot.
He was a Cambodian communist.
He ordered the killing of up to 2.5 million of his fellow Cambodians in the 1970s.
At that time there were only about eight million Cambodians.

Then he grows old. He lost his power and lived in the jungle and hunted by his countrymen who wanted to punish him for what he had done.

Then he died a pathetic death.

This was how they disposed his body.

What? Chin Peng died?
Okay, just burn him like they burned Pol Pot. And make sure they burn his chair along with him...and his household garbage too.

An interview with Mukhriz

The NST today published an interview with the guy whom I think is the only one who could rejuvenate Umno.

Here are excerpts of the interview,

Question: This next question is likely on everybody's mind. What can we expect from your position in the party election?

Answer: I'm running out of time before nomination day. I must admit that I'm still in two minds about this matter. I know I am going to contest but in which position, I haven't decided. I have taken the opportunity to talk to as many people as possible and I must say that the views I received vary.

The most ideal situation is when the leadership's mind is synchronised with the masses. My worry is what if we are not. I am loyal to the party and I hope no one will question that. Whatever I do, I always bear that in mind... whether I'm doing it for the good of the party. I never put self-interest above the party. I read some comments in blogs which accuse me of having it easy all the time. You know, like he's been secured, protected and given the easy path all the way.

Well, my first attempt to contest was as the Youth chief of Kubang Pasu and I lost by nine votes despite my father having been the division chief there for 35 years. I won with the highest number of votes in the Youth exco but lost when I contested the chief post, where I came in third among three contenders. This time around, at the general election, I chose to contest at a seat that we had previously lost. So, how could this be a grand design for me to reach a higher level?

Don't you think that if I had such aspirations, I should have gone and contested in places like Kuah or Jitra, which were sure bets?

So, I think it's clear that I took calculated risks as I knew what I was doing. Not many understood why I was taking chances as even my father (former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) was not so keen about me standing at state level, and worst still, at a seat where we have lost before.

Even the prime minister was surprised that I said Air Hitam when he asked where I wanted to stand. Of all places, reports were that Air Hitam was not so safe as the votes there swinged a lot and there were also many who tended to vote for Pas. But I was comfortable and confident, and I felt that if I was there to win back the state, I myself must contribute a seat. What's the point of me standing in a safe seat and expect BN to win the state back?

That's why I think I am okay with taking risks and I have a proven track record in that regard. I have absolutely no qualms about being in difficult situations and that it's all for the party.

Question: A lot of people see you as representing the more youthful side of Umno, despite yourself being almost 50 years old. How do you feel about that and in what way do you think you can contribute to rejuvenating the party?

Answer: I don't know whether it's really about being young or old. I find that at some point or another, the general perception is that the party may veer from its original cause and that a lot of people, many of them young people, want Umno to go back to its original values. So, because this set of people who want to see a revived Umno tend to be younger, that's why they say its a generational thing.

I think it's not really so. A lot of things have happened in the party, some are good and quite a lot that are not so great which damaged the party's reputation and image. I've made it at least a personal mission to clean up the party's image and I hope others will be with me. That's why, whenever I have the chance, I talk about integrity, about being professional, about being work oriented and having the right values as well as being grounded in Islam.

All these things, everyone knows are good for the party.

Coincidently, a lot of young people I talked to share the same feelings. Many of them told me that they voted for BN and Umno mainly because they didn't like the other guys. That is not good enough. I don't want them to vote for us just because they don't like the opposition. I want them to vote for us because they trust us and they believe in us and they want to be with us in the true sense. Well, how do you feel if someone (you love) says I love you because I don't like the other guy?

This old adage about the devil you know, that can't be it. So, I hope more in the party will champion this issue. Just look at whenever we go into an election or by-election, we can see how the other side behaves. They act like ruffians. They accuse us of practising graft and abuse of power. I don't think we addressed that enough and a lot of young people believe those accusations.

We shouldn't assume that just because there is no evidence, the young people shouldn't believe those accusations. We haven't done enough to exonerate ourselves from that. And do bear in mind that those guys who accuse us, they actually don't even have the moral high ground to make such accusations. And yet, their unsubstantiated allegations form misperceptions about Umno as a whole. I hope to clean up the party's reputation and image.

For the rest of the interview, please click on this link

'I am here to chart a new course'