Between them, the quartet of Tun and Tan Sri ex-Umno ministers average 79-and-¼ years old.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad is 89, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (also a Tan Sri) is 77, Daim Zainuddin is 76 and Zainuddin Maidin is 75.
Very recently, the four of them spoke up on the worrying state of the nation.
Zam being an Utusan man is a nationalist and he’s worried about Bangsa, Agama dan Negara. KuLi is worried about the country’s finances, Daim worried about the Malaysian economy and the Tun is above all worried about Najib losing it, methinks.
Umno is in such dire straits that it requires these veterans – whose collective average age is touching 80 – to dust off their rusty armour and ride out on old battles horses.
Something is really terribly wrong with the current party president if septuagenarians and octogenarians are required to leave their gardening and grandchildren to personally take up arms.
We’re not talking here about calang-calang orang pushing some sort of agenda to undermine the ruling party but about the totems themselves stirring in the Umno inner sanctum.
KuLi is worried
Tengku Razaleigh is rightly acknowledged as one of Malaysia’s preeminent nation builders who was instrumental in the establishment of the country’s key institutions. He was the founding chairman of Petronas as well as Bank Bumiputera chairman prior to assuming the post of finance minister.
KuLi had also been the Umno treasurer who initially built up the party’s war chest. He is a serving Parliamentarian of 40 years’ standing, having been elected Ulu Kelantan MP in 1974.
Last week, he wrote a six-page letter “about some critical economic issues besetting our country today, affecting the rakyat and impacting on our future generations”, and distributed it to rest of the 221 MPs. For him to resort to doing that is something chronic.
Click Kinibiz below to read archived story ‘Daim: Najib is too soft‘
Daim is worried
Like KuLi, Tun Daim is another former Umno treasurer who was previously finance minister.
See, ‘1MDB should not park funds in Cayman, says Daim‘ (Yahoo! News, 7 Nov 2014)
A few days ago on Friday at a talk organized by MIDF, he reminded Najib how the government lost the popular vote and that voters in Selangor – Malaysia’s most populous and developed state – have twice rejected BN.
“If they are not careful, if things stay as they are, then I think Barisan will lose more seats,” Tun Daim was quoted as saying by the Malaysian Reserve.
“If I was the government I would be very worried,” he added.
But the Najib administration doesn’t appear to be worried despite that three former finance ministers (Daim, KuLi, Dr M) are very worried.
Zam is worried
The crux of the matter is that Najib’s current “Moderate” strategy is self-defeating if not suicidal.
.
“Adalah dijangkakan tekanan semakin hebat akan didatangkan oleh Umno dari seluruh negara menjelang Mesyuarat Perwakilan Tahunan Umno tidak lama lagi terutama sekali di atas konsep Kesederhanaan (Moderation) yang dikemukakannya yang lebih banyak mendatangkan kesan negatif terhadap kedudukan agama Islam dan maruah orang Islam di negara ini walaupun memberikan imej baik ke luar negara.”
Christian fanatics!
Here & Now is not the Time & Place
A little earlier on Friday, Tan Sri Zam said that the Malay ground and Umno grassroots are very uncomfortable with Najib’s Moderation bid.
The former Utusan group editor believes that there is a time and place to be moderate but here and now is not it.
“Orang bukan Islam dan fanatik Kristian mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengeksploitasi konsep ini bagi terlihat memihak kepada mereka” – see Zam’s blog on ‘Luka terpendam akar umbi‘.
Najib entrusted his Moderation concept to the J-Star … duh!
Like I’ve said before, Najib appears to have a death wish.
If Najib in his personal capacity wishes to commit harakiri, that is his own lookout. But he shouldn’t drag the BN and Umno along with him to the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
Zamkata:
“Pengarah urusan The Star Datuk Wong Chun Wai telah tampil kehadapan menjadi juara dalam hal ini [Ibrahim Ali & Bible]. Star diberikan kepercayaan oleh Datuk Najib untuk mempromosikan konsep sederhana.
“Konsep sederhana ini telah menyebabkan orang Umno dan juga orang Melayu dan Islam berada dalam keadaan menyerah kalah kerana takut dianggap sebagai ekstremis malah Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib sendiri takut untuk mempertahankan seorang menterinya Nancy Shukri yang menyampaikan keputusan Peguam Negara itu.”
The stigma on your forehead [Bible verse Genesis 4:15-16] will be there forever, Hannah
Malays and Muslims put on the defensive
Seterusnya Zam kata lagi:
“… berikutan dengan berbagai masalah perkauman dan penghinaan terhadap Perlembagaan Negara khususnya Islam yang berlaku sejak Najib menghapuskan ISA dan pendedahan hasratnya untuk meminda Akta Hasutan 1948. Dengan berbuat demikian beliau telah menjemput masalah demi masalah. […]
“Sindrom sederhana ini menyebabkan Melayu dan Islam berada dalam keadaan bertahan dan pihak musuh di pihak menyerang. Dalam peperangan bila berada dalam keadaan bertahan bererti sudah berada dalam kekalahan. Inilah yang sedang dirasakan oleh orang Melayu dan Islam sekarang.”
But alas, Najib does not heed Zam or Daim or KuLi or the Tun or the Umno grassroots.
BELOW: Najib listening to J-Star CEO Wong Chun Wai
Salleh is worried about Tun’s attacks
Former Sabah Chief Minister Salleh Said Keruak blogged on Saturday:
“The concern is the attacks by Umno leaders themselves, past and present, in particular from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Daim Zainuddin. Tun Daim even said that if Najib is not careful 1MDB might result in his downfall.”
Besides 1MDB, there are a number of other issues just waiting to trip him. And aside from the two Tuns mentioned by Salleh, there are other Umno luminaries likely to step up their critiques against Najib soon.
He has been PM for 2,047 days and counting. His longevity is already double the 1,001-night period in the Arabian fable wherein Scheherazade’s execution was postponed by the Persian king night after night and this delay carried forward until the one thousandth and one night.
Arabian Nights
Moderation too costly for Najib in terms of votes
How long more can Najib’s magic last if he continues with his current wrong approach? Over the last 5 years, 7 months and 7 days of his premiership, he has been continually bleeding public support.
The soalan cepu emas is as follows: Has Najib’s moderation gained him votes or alienated the traditional BN voters instead?
Isn’t it that the more moderate Najib shows himself to be, the more the opposition naik kepala? And the more they naik kepala, the more the BN supporters pula jadi bengang dengan Najib whom they hold responsible for the oppo behaviour.
Moderation in the hands of the EvangeliSTAR and their ilk will only backfire on the Umno president.
Not happy with Najib
More aren’t happy with Najib
Helen Ang 
Dear Helen..It takes you, a A Chinese Malaysian ..or ..vice versa?. .to articulate about how we the Malays feel about Najib, especially about his “moderate” approach.
Stupidly is committing the same mistake over and over again. His moderate approach is not getting him votes from the opposition. Instead They are exploiting it to their advantage.
We the Malays are fed up with this stupid approach and constant attack on the Malay as a result of it. The evangelists are getting big headed too. Can’t this PM think like the average Malay or he is too different from us?
Helen dont be suprised when DAP,PAS and PKR join BN while Ah Gib Gor kick out MCA, Gerakan and MIC. Could that be his stratergy?
I do not foresee PAS joining BN in the immediate or near future even if the party leaves Pakatan. But they (PAS & Umno) might co-operate in certain Islamic matters and on a state-by-state basis, e.g. in Kedah and Kelantan.
Kicking out MCA will be a good idea.
However, the Umno ground will never accept the DAP as a BN component – “over their dead body”.
This land has been characterized by Sino-Malay rivalry for more than a century. DAP is an anathema to the Umno Malays and in any case, the 2013 tsunami has proved that Umno is able to rule the country without any need for Chinese support.
Compounding the Chinese vs Malay political contestation is the newly emerged Christian vs Muslim competition. And DAP is an evangelical party.
Lastly, there’s no reason at all for Umno to invite PKR to join BN. What for?
PKR is the weakest party in Pakatan. DAP has its hardcore Chinese supporters and PAS has its takbir crowd. PKR has been depending on DAP to get Chinese votes and PAS to get Malay votes in the seats that it contested.
Without the PAS machinery on the ground and the DAP fitnah apparatuses going full throttle, PKR will surely flounder. Remember that in 2004, PKR only won a single Parliament seat – Wan Azizah in Permatang Pauh – whereas DAP still won 12.
Even at present, you put PKR vs Umno one-on-one in any Malay-majority seat, PKR will be beaten flat. In a mixed seat, PKR will not be able to win on its own steam. It can only win under the Pakatan aegis of DAP-Chinese and PAS-Muslim votes.
Banyak sangat tipu helah, putar belit. How mendiang Karpal exit this world pun tidak memberi kesedaran dan kesan langsung kepada mereka termasuk kaum famili terdekat.
Ajal menjemput kita tidak kira pangkat harta atau umur. Buat jahat berpada2. Buat baik dibalas dengan baik, buat jahat terima le padahnya.
Helen. You talk about umno old men hitting the limelight. Dont forget that one grand old umno lady trying to do so too. Dont know if it is to show that she is still relevant? Or because Ah Jib Gor had the nerve to take back her husband’s cow and bullshit business? Whatever it is, her time is up. Nobody wants to listen to her (unlike her predecessor who chairs a lowcost airline whose comments still attract attention). Time for her to shutup and withdraw into the wilderness.
See Yau Kiah,
“…grand old UMNO lady….”
actually she just articulated what the Malays feel about Sedition Act. Whether she is just being spiteful or not that is immaterial. What she said is what vast majority of Malays feel.
But I give her the benefit of the doubt. As I am aware how Rafizi slandered her on NFC.
‘What she said is what vast majority of Malays feel.’
prior to 23 Nov, she might have felt the tremors…
I hope everyone in UMNO is brave enough to turn the table
l o l ! you kidding or what brother ? they are too intoxicated by money and all the business contracts. in fact I dare say they are now busy preparing their exit in case PR win the next GE. These people are not known for their bravery. They are only interested in money.
Of course la they are brave to turn the table. They will turn the table 360o and we’re back on square one. They always equate motion with action.
Do they believe in admission into heaven for their goodness or the suffering of hellfire to purge their evil deeds? Has the glitter of the world blinded their hearts? Are they Muslims who disregard the calamity of the Day of Judgement? Will they be able to face the masses of people whom they have cheated and slandered in the presence of Allah Al-Hakim Al-Qahhar?
norman, they won’t turn the table. thay will hide under the table pretending nothing is happening. Janji masyuuuk
Nanti akan ada pula yang gelar ajib gor sebagai Attaturk Msia. Apa tidaknya terkini orang otak sekular liberal macam ajib gor dah memutuskan enakmen syariah sebagai berlawanan dengan Perlembagaan. Apa yg diharamkan oleh islam telah dihalalkan.
Transgender: Tidak Guna Menang di Mahkamah …: [YouTube]
These old war horses….
They think the current leadership under this PM will listen to them. How pathetic. They are retired and should stay retired. Stop airing your views in public.
They should learn from other statesmen who have retired. You don’t hear Clinton or Bush telling Obama what to do. You don’t hear Blair or Brown telling Cameron what he should do. Even in Singapore Harry Lee keeps a distance from his son when it comes to how the government should govern the country.
Here is totally different. Retired PM and deputy PM and other ministers, deputies, ex officials telling the government what to do, this and that.
Get real. You’re retired and you should stay retired. Period.
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is 91 years old and is the Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar constituency. Singapore’s second prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, appointed him “Senior Minister” in 1990. He held the advisory post of “Minister Mentor”, created by his son Lee Hsien Loong, when the latter became the nation’s third prime minister in August 2004. With his successive ministerial positions spanning over 50 years, Lee is one of history’s longest-serving ministers.
Mr Lee retired from the Cabinet in 2011, but remains the leading Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC until 2016.
Pakatan Puak Pembohong,
Despite many nasty things said about Tun Dr Mahathir, he retired gracefully at peak of his popularity.
“Mat Salleh ” hate him so much. He refused to “kowtow” to IMF when many other leaders (Sukarno) obeyed IMF instructon. He showed that Western way is not the only viable way.
Tun is critical, not paranoid. I must say in sincerity Tun is much more respected than Najib. He understands the malays.
If the Puak Pembohong will not entertain us with more of his furious grouses against wise old gentlemen, he should know that the Singapore government is not doing all that well with respect to her average citizens on a number of issues like the massive migrant influx that has saturated the job market, and the witholding of workers’ retirement CPF funds until age 69, to say the least. Woeful is the born Singaporean:
http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/11/10/fts-timbuktu-degree-ok-but-not-mine-from-curtin-univ/
Our Opposition is weak. Hanya kuat kelentong and going round in circles sowing seeds of hatred to destroy this country. They have nothing to show, to prove since Merdeka kecuali mulut busuk. Otak tak tentu arah tujuan, lebih banyak berangan nak UBAH itu ini macam pokemon aje.
Instead the check and balance is being done by our elders, leaders who have proven and once contributed something to this nation, demi Negara, bangsa and Agama.
Najib ni tak berjiwa rakyat. Born with a silver spoon and living within his circle then on to the land of omputih, macam mana nak rasa denyutan nadi rakyat biasa yang selama ini mengharungi hidup dalam serba keserdehanaan.
Kena ganti dengan pemimpin yang asal usul datang dari kalangan rakyat biasa, baru le bangsa, Negara dan Agama dapat menuju kearah masa depan yang lebih cemerlang dan gemilang dari tahun2 sebelumnya.
Minta izin celah.
“Our Opposition is weak”
Pembangkang mendapat 51% undi popular. BN hanya dapat 47%.
Pakatan menguasai 88% kerusi bandar.
‘Kena ganti’
I say it again, Najib harus diubah!
Majority of gangsters, Alvivi types, prostitutes and pimps must have voted for them to give them the popularity numbers, probably thts why these trade are mushrooming and booming in their areas?
[deleted]
Cik Helen pakatan dapat 51% hanya semata-mata dengan menabur fitnah yang sering awak jaja mudah lupa ka
BN nyata tak terdaya menangkis fitnah yang sering ditabur Pakatan itu.
Why is it that some people assume politics in the west is the same as over here? Clinton Bush Reagan Blair Phantom Moustache guy bla bla..Its DIFFERENT! Our politics are the same? They eat belacan too? They joget? Mak Yong? Kuda Kepang as we do? Grow up. Do we have Jewish backers over here? Aiyoooooo
like this one:-) well said
“Isn’t it that the more moderate Najib shows himself to be, the more the opposition naik kepala? And the more they naik kepala, the more the BN supporters pula jadi bengang dengan Najib whom they hold responsible for the oppo behaviour.”
See LKS blog on this –
http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2014/11/10/malays-and-islam-are-not-under-attack-in-malaysia-it-is-multi-racial-multi-religious-and-multi-cultural-malaysia-which-is-under-siege-by-intolerant-and-extremist-forces-which-are-trying-to-turn-mod/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+limkitsiang%2Frss+%28Lim+Kit+Siang%29
One thing about the opposition, PKR, DAP and their mouthpieces, they make a united stand on almost all issues and hence people take notice. BN on the other hand do not know where they stand on any issue because there is no clear signal from the top.
Take for example the kalimah Allah issue – how long did it take the PM to issue a statement and did the other component parties stand behind him? And now this cross-dressing issue that has almost all the Muslims upset, why is the PM mum and why is it the no. 2 who is taking a stand? And where do the other BN parties stand? Are they going to stand with Umno or is everyone and his dog now going to take potshots at Umno and Islam again?
Sack MCA.
What’s the point of having a DAP mark 2 in the BN? Nowadays we can’t tell the difference between the two parties anymore. MCA in fact is becoming more DAP than DAP.
Bawa Gerakan sekali! Gerakan is a Cina party!
The 4 horsemen, The Expendables…jeng jeng jeeeng