The Malays would be much better off in a world without Umno, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today, claiming the country’s dominant race would not only be better educated and free from corruption but still humble and religious, without feeling any need to show off.
To the majority of Malays, Zaid said, there was little benefit to be had from having Umno around, save for the creation of a handful of “instant Malay millionaires and billionaires”.
The former Cabinet minister, in a fiery response to the pro-Malay rhetoric heard all week at Umno’s 67th general assembly, even declared in a blog posting here his belief that party he once believed in would never change its stripes.
“It’s a true blue extremist, racist and religious party. The Umno President can protest and say Umno is not a racist party, but it is. It’s no different from other parties with fascist ideas.
“It’s a party that panders to emotions about religion and race, and feels no remorse about attacking others on these religious grounds and feeling proud of its position,” he sniped.
Slamming the party as racist for pushing “fascist ideas”, he said the delegates were too busy attacking everyone from the Chinese to the Shiah Muslims while indulging in mock religiosity to even begin to address the real issues facing Malaysians today.
“Then, we heard the bombshell from the President: where would the Malays be without Umno, he asked,” the former de-facto law minister wrote in his blog.
“The short answer is that the Malays will still be Malays without Umno. Without Umno, the Malays would not descend to such depths just for political advantage.
“In short, without Umno, the Malays would be more civilised beings,” he said in his latest hard-hitting blog entry.
Islam took centre stage in Umno’s annual pow-wow last week, with Najib announcing plans to amend the party constitution to adopt the provision in the Federal Constitution that places Islam as the religion of the federation.
The amendment will also include the phrase “Sunnah wal Jamaah” to specifically define the brand of Islam that is endorsed by the country’s most powerful political party.
Zaid bristled at the proposal, questioning why Umno does not go all the way and do the same for the country’s apex law.
“How such a definition can make Islam and Muslims better is something only small minds can fathom,” he said. -themalaymailonline
