What Umno has lost is gone forever. Habis. Malays have abandoned the party.
Follow the data.
Ten seats which saw their GE14 Umno MPs defect before the first quarter of 2019 were won by PN in a clean sweep during the recent GE15.
BELOW: Umno’s kryptonite is green, Umno’s kryptonite is PAS
Malay voters have spoken
The seats that were enticed away from Umno in 2018 have freely chosen to stay away from Umno in 2022. This is the democratic decision of the Malay electorate.
In the aftermath of GE14, Umno haemorrhaged its MPs to Mahathir’s Bersatu. Yet in our general election last month, it was Bersatu that kept the frog seats. Not Umno.
Malay voters in those areas did not punish Bersatu for accepting the GE14 party hoppers from Umno.
On polling night four years ago, Umno had 54 MPs. The party, however, was almost immediately hit with a string of defections through the machinations of PM 2.0 Machiavelli Mahathir.
When parliament was dissolved this year to pave the way for new elections, Umno had 38 MPs left. Umno lost 17 MPs roughly within a year following GE14 but later gained one MP in the Cameron Highlands by-election.
Let’s relook the 10 seats in Semenanjung where their MPs – who were elected on an Umno ticket – had hopped over mostly to Bersatu.
We’ll not look at the Sabah ex-Umno MPs but just restrict our focus to the peninsula — see Malaysiakini ten defectors tracker timeline below.
Malay seats continue defecting from Umno
Umno won the following 10 seats in 2018. PN won all of them in 2022.
After GE14, their Umno MPs defected from the party. In GE15, the Malay voters defected from Umno.
1. Bagan Serai, Perak
- GE14: Noor Azmi Ghazali
- GE15: Won by PN
2. Bukit Gantang, Perak
- GE14: Syed Abu Hussin
- GE15: Syed Abu Hussin won for PN
3. Masjid Tanah, Malacca
- GE14: Mas Ermieyati Samsudin
- GE15: Mas Ermieyati won for PN
4. Jeli, Kelantan
- GE14: Mustapa Mohamed
- GE15: Won by PN
5. Tanah Merah, Kelantan
- GE14: Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz
- GE15: Ikmal Hisham won for PN
6. Hulu Terengganu
- GE14: Rasol Wahid
- GE15: Rasol Wahid won for PN
7. Tasek Gelugor, Penang
- GE14: Shabudin Yahaya
- GE15: Won by PN
8. Larut, Perak
- GE14: Hamzah Zainudin
- GE15: Hamzah won for PN
9. Sabak Bernam, Selangor
- GE14: Mohd Fasiah Fakeh
- GE15: Won by PN
10. Mersing, Johor
- GE14: Abd Latiff Ahmad
- GE15: Won by PN
The seats listed above, which span seven states and cover quite a substantial geographical area, are widely representative of Malay voter sentiment.
In half of these seats, Malay voters just returned to office the very same ex-Umno incumbents. This time, the winning candidates were upfront standing on the PN ticket — either flying the Bersatu or PAS banner.
Sacked by Umno, emerged as winners
Shahidan Kassim, who was sacked from Umno shortly before GE15, had not only successfully retained his Arau parliament seat as a PN candidate but even led his entire state into PN’s arms.
Umno lost the Perlis state legislative assembly (DUN) for the first time ever this election.
In the same purge two weeks before GE15, Shahidan’s Umno Perlis colleague – the outgoing Padang Besar MP Zahidi Zainul Abidin – was also sacked.
Padang Besar fell to PN on polling day.
Incumbent Maran MP Ismail Abd Muttalib was sacked together with Shahidan in early November. He too successfully retained his Pahang parliament seat as a PN candidate.
Currently post-GE15, Umno has only 26 MPs left.
BELOW: A bridge too far … huge distance between Umno’s present 26 MPs and the threshold line in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat
Zahid has big DAP fan club
In between the last two elections, Umno suffered a loss of 28 MPs.
Umno’s presence in parliament has since been reduced to less than a quarter compared to the party’s peak performance of 109 MPs in 2004 under Badawi.
The continuous bleeding of Umno in various Malay states indicate a significant Malay swing is taking place.
Unno saw its worst ever electoral performance in history under the leadership of Zahid. The Umno president was so disliked by Malays generally that the party had to put forward their VP Ismail Sabri as the election poster boy.
Nonetheless, for the ‘achievement’ of sending his own party into the gutter, Zahid was richly rewarded by “(No) Anwar and (No) DAP” with the UG deputy premiership. How does the ever dwindling Umno base feel about this, you think?
BELOW: Optimists hope they can bring back the woolly mammoth from its Ice Age extinction
Umno disappeared from landscape
Umno is clearly not the preferred choice of Malays when the party has no presence at all in the Malay heartland — Perlis zero MPs, Kedah zero MPs, Kelantan zero MPs, Terengganu zero MPs.
In fact, Umno has no MPs in, overall, half of our country. The party failed to win any parliament seats either in the Harapan states of Penang, Selangor and Malacca.
In the main Federal Territory – Malaysia’s richest and most important Klang Valley area – Umno has one MP out of KL’s 11 parliament seats.
It is Bersatu that now holds the Putrajaya parliament seat. Bersatu also captured the other FT parliament seat, Labuan, from Umno in this election.
For sure, Umno is now experiencing an identical predicament as its erstwhile Tiga Sekawan original allies, MCA and MIC.
The BN Chinese party and the BN Indian party have found it impossible to regain their non-Malay majority seats anywhere.
So what’s the future like for BN’s Malay party? Can Umno make a comeback?
Well, Chinese scientists are working to resurrect the woolly mammoth. The Cina DAP will doubtless try to give Umno the kiss of life.
While at it, the Chinese could make a delicious meal of Umno too.
Helen Ang 
umno have brighter chance, simply because msia can accommodate two or more malay parties due to malay population increase tremendously versus others. in most democracy there is always 40% voters that can go either left or right. pas religion credentials have a limit, they therefore seize malay votes via racism narrative, but this new supporter is never static, they can change mind as long as govt policy skew towards them, meaning, chinese is again the losing side. however if anwar govt is sincerely helping the poor, especially the rurul peninsula, sabah and sarawak and not mere rhetoric, perhaps the sacrifice is worth it.
The writing is on the wall for UMNO. It will go the way of its junior partners, MCA and MIC. The inability to inject young blood into the Party after 2004 with new innovations put off the elites. During this period, someone told me that a brilliant young Muslim Indian returned from London. He was employed in a Government agency in Cyberjaya. His Boss told him to work out the budget for the following year which he did diligently. But to his surprise, his Boss asked him to put in RM 5 millions more. He was upset. He consulted his father who advised his son to do what he was told. The son quietly returned to London. By the end of the 2000s, an UMNO warlord quietly told me the young Malays were not joining UMNO. He was worried. MCA’s downfall began in 1974 when the small town Mandarin speaking boys took over from the towkays. Their Leader used the take-over of Sime Darby by the Malays ( through my 1972 Concept supported by Tun Abdul Razak and participation to fast trek the Malays into big business without impinging on existing and future Chinese businesses), as an excuse to cheat his own Chinese on both sides of the Causeway. He called me. ‘ A Malay bum sucker !’ His crazy Leadership of MCA ended in tears with Tun Ghaffar Baba appointed the MCA President to save the MCA. A shameful episode of a bunch of Mandarin speaking chinamen who forsook Politics for Money at the expense of those Chinese who supported them. Sounds familiar ? History is the finest arbiter of the Truth. It takes years and years of hard work with sincerity and honesty to build up a credible cadre group of elites. Look at Singapore today, after years of focus and intense selection of possible leaders, the result is ZERO ! So it tickles me to see all these 20+ political parties throwing their hats into the political arena and expect big returns. The answer is in Shakespear’s ‘ Julius Caesar’ !
I don’t think it’s the end of UMNO if they can shed cronyism and get onto the populist movement to win over young Malays. Time for the old guards to take a back seat and let young blood reinvigorate the party.
UMNO should not try to be more Islam than PAS. Not all Malays want to pander to PAS because sooner or later, for a religious party, there is no way it can continue to advance without slowly closing its grip on moderation.
If PAS have its way, one can be assured there will be restrictions on internet access and clamp downs on social media. TikTok will no longer be spontaneous organic content, but a state sponsored propaganda tool. No different how Tik Tok is used currently under CCP control.
Mr H. You are right in your assessment on the rise and return of UMNO like the phoenix from the ashes. Even though 50+ % of the Malays prefer UMNO to rise again, I do not see a Leader in UMNO at the present time who has the charisma and fortitude to rally and channel the desire and hopes of the Malays like Dato Onn, the Tunku or Tun Abdul Razak as in the past. TDM stayed for so long because he created some wealth for the Malays from zero base whilst he applied the smoke and mirrors show for all. His political leadership was poor which led to the present Malaysian hiatus of immeasurable proportions. Strangely, he did not follow up on the many privatized projects which he founded. As a result, the 2nd Gen Malay elites eventually self-immolated and none survived. Let us not forget the 1st Gen Malay elites disappeared after1981 ! For UMNO to rise again, it’s the charismatic leadership, not the Ringgit ! I do not see any at the moment. There is no better example than Singapore in the failure to create a charismatic and credible Leadership since 1959 with bombast like meritocracy. . Zero result is the answer ! Hopefully, the huge yawning gap of the lack of political leadership now in UMNO is recognized as the basic before progress could be achieved. Until then, let’s cross our fingers !
Zahid probably learnt from DAP.
Look what happened to fine, distinguished members like Lee Lam They, Dr Tan Seng Giaw etc.
They were all killed off.
Mr D Sir. Lee Lam Thye compared to Dr Tan is like comparing chalk and cheese ! Did you notice the beautiful English of the former who never had a formal education all these years ? It was alleged he had a checkered history since Renong Berhad days in 1990 ! Believe it or not, Sir !
Sir, But Lee studied till F 6 in an top Ipoh school.
As for the Renong talk, it was just talk.
His lifestyle and home attests to that.
Ditto for the lies about Mrs Lee spread by those nearest him.
It was not his Malay nor MCA/Gerakan brethren.
His recent book laid bare all the injustice….
Mr D. I was the controlling shareholder of Renong Berhad before Lee Lam Thye retired from the DAP ! With the takeover of Fleet Holdings by Renong Berhad, he retired. His wife was the college mate of my ex-employee in Perth, Australia. He became a remisier in a share-broking firm and she was his big client. How come he could live so well after 1990 without a banyan tree to support him ?
Finally, the truth is out from the horse’s mouth about LLT’s ties wif Renong!
We were aware he was close with you, Sir. But I left in 88 and did not follow events at home after that.
Still, banyan tree or not, Me Lee remains my fav politician as I saw him toiling endlessly for the Rakyat – with the Lims breathing down his neck – for umpteen years in his ramshackle office in Bukit Bintang pre Renong R n R days in Perth.
I didn’t apply for the K Foundation scholarship coz LLT was on d Board n it wld be unfair for my competitor since we knew each
other……
LLT is sincere, kind and a gentleman of the old world…
Mr D. I do not know Tan Sri Dato Dr Lee Lam Thye at all ! I only know his wife introduced to me by her college buddy my ex-employee. The events mentioned are purely coincidental. But hopefully, the facts so presented form a complete picture for you. Malaysia is an interesting place like the iconic KL Tower which could disappear from Government ownership overnight with no one taking responsibility even though an ex-PM is in jail at the same moment. Cash is King ?
Mr D. What a remarkable coincidence that my RM 1 billion takeover of Fleet Holdings NOT only saved the lives of Lee Lam Thye, his wife and my ex-employee the remisier from inevitable disaster because they all signed a guarantee in share investment but also made it possible for UMNO Baru to redeem the assets of old UMNO from the Official Assignee. I lent UMNO Baru 9 million Renong shares without security to save themselves ! No one expressed their gratitude to me for saving their lives in 1990 ! All behaved as though nothing happened like in that eponymous book ! This event, Mr D, is one of the finest in my long career of helping others without seeking a reward. Folex Industries Berhad ( now Sri Hartamas ) the biggest corporate bankruptcy not only in the 1970s but up to 2022 was saved by me without a single sen from the Consortium of Banks led by MIDF. I made millions of ringgits for the shareholders. At the end, the banks also walked away after collecting their loans in full as though nothing happened. My 1972 Concept to capture Sime Darby for the Malays to fast track into big business WITHOUT impinging on Chinese business present and future, supported by Tun Abdul Razak and YBM Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, cost only RM 23 million. By 1992, the Malaysian Management which jobs I created for them, kicked me out after serving as a non-executive Director for 18 years with a total emolument of RM 500,000 before tax so that they could do business with crooked chinamen and bankrupted Sime Darby TWICE at RM1.2 Billion in 1997 and RM2.10 Billion in 2010 ! Now the Management takes RM 500,000 salary a month ! OMG ! I kept my sanity my whole Life long but there are others who wear their honours like peacocks. This is the reason why I am exceedingly happy. The facts as above also explain the state of real achievements by our beloved Malaysia today where credit should be given when or where it is due ! Acheh !
Mr D. Hardly any Malaysian is aware that I donated my father’s mansion with 13 acres to be the 1st Istana Negara ( 1957-2012 ) which brought Peace, Happiness, Prosperity to our beloved Malaysia which revered Constitution is safeguarded by our wise, caring and compassionate Yang Di Pertuan Agong and the Royal Sultans.
Lee Lam Thye after 1990 spent his holidays in Perth, Australia with my ex-employee like some other Malaysians. Do you know why ?
Mr H. Please note that Lee Lam Thye’s English so beautifully written is NOT Form 6 English as taught in the local schools in Ipoh. Also, you agree with me that NO schools in Malaya in the 1950s teach Form 6 English. Once in the late 1960s, I was on a Panel of the Board of Trustees, EPF, in Petaling Jaya. A University of Malaya Economics Honours lady graduate appeared before us. I asked her ‘what is the function of the EPF ?’ . She replied in broken English, ‘ To save money.’
Sori Mr H. I got you mixed up with Damocles, a wide-eyed fan of Lee Lam Thye. My comments, all FACTUAL, concerning Lee Lam Thye, were for Mr D’s edification. Sori. Mr H. Please carry on with your logical and balanced views of our current affairs laced with FAKES which I appreciate very much !
GM Mr AK!
Thx for the edification n yr patience to share the info.
Aah…there are layers and layers of truth indeed!
Perceived wide-eyed or not.
LLT’s Perth ventures we r not aware of till your goodself revealed it.
But, based on his performance in DAP bfor he was forced out 1990, LLT was indeed an “ideal” Msian leader who championed for a better life of all Msians’.
Even Kampung Baru folks – his
BBintang constituents – held him in high regard.
As for his English, it is of coz better than those who went to unis in the 80s since he was taught by the Irish La Sallian Bros.
Agree that d std of English of 5th form leavers before the late 70s were better than those who went to uni after that.
Now, who wrecked our English standards?
In the mid 70s, the medium of instruction of all English schools hitherto was English.
Till Dr M as Education Minister changed it to instruct Arts courses in Malay. And everything else in Malay too by 1980!!
Mr D. Like your goodself, Lee Lam Thye and all are good people. It’s the force of circumstances which makes us do things, sometimes beyond our ken. Here is an observation which you may agree. First, the severe hardships forced upon the young and growing up Chinese during the Japanese Occupation 1942-1945 to learn beyond their age the dirty tricks of life to survive when a person’s life hung by just a thread. With this experience, a whole cohort of Chinese billionaires made good after Merdeka 1957 via the BMA 1945-1950. Second, my brother went with the First, Singapore Business delegation to Australia in 1964. He derided a film mogul in front of my friend, the pauper to riches Baghdad Jew of Singapore, Jacob Ballas. Jacob told off my brother, ‘ If your stomach is empty, you will also do anything.’ Jacob’s father immigrated to Singapore from Baghdad in 1909 after a pogrom. His father died when he was young. He began life as a Wearnes motorcar salesman and later, Sun Life of Canada from which Straits dollars were accepted for premiums in US dollars. This attracted the chinamen at the height of the Korean War. Soon, he met a Singaporean doctor, Willie Heng, who financed him to be a share-broker. Jacob never looked backed till he died not too many years ago. He never married even though he had several liaisons and looked after his aged mother who died at 92 ! His filial piety is beyond reproach ! I learnt much from Jacob. In Life, Mr D. To each his own !
Mr D. At the end of the day, all historians will point their finger at TDM and not AB or even DSN. History is the finest arbiter of the Truth. Do you know AB was only a secretary of the NOC chaired by Tun Abdul Razak in 1970 ? All our PMs should read and understand our revered Constitution between the lines as safeguarded by our wise, caring and compassionate Yang Di Pertuan Agong and the Royal Sultans. The majority rules. But what is not mentioned is the important and significant role the Malay elites play in support of every PM and his Government which Tun Abdul Razak fully understood with his team of the best and young Malays. After 1981, it was all MONOLOGUE ! Three Gens of Malay elites self immolated till now we have those who popped up at 20 – 30 something in the media to proudly broadcast they are ‘multi-millionaires’ ! The First Gen 1970 -1980 which I grew up with, was flamed by the BMF scandal. The Second Gen, 1981-2003, the Renongs, self-destruct to a man. The Third Gen, 2004 – 2018 was swallowed up by the 1MDB scandal with a litany of scandals before this beginning with the 4th Floor Boys. WITH NO MALAY ELITES LIKE NOW, THE NON-MALAY ELITES CAN ONLY TWIDDLE THEIR THUMBS AS PER THE REVERED CONSTITUTION ! Hence, our beloved Malaysia badly needs a Malay Leader who is NORMAL with COMMONSENSE and an IMPECCABLE RECORD. No need for Oxbridge or Ivy League types which tiny bite-sized impoverished but rich Singapore found out to their cost as late as 2013 Vide. 2010. The nude lady Cantabrigian of Holland Village, Singapore.
Mr D. Many thanks ! FACT. i) He was not forced to leave the DAP . ii) Unfortunate circumstances forced him to do so. iii) It was alleged that he was provided with and office and writer by a billionaire the very day he left politics. He should not be ashamed of these facts. But to tell the whole World by way of a published book that it was DIY. It’s jolly hard to swallow. Please note again the English used in his columns appeared to come from an ex-English teacher. Ask him.
Mr D. Sir. Do you remember Willy Brandt, the German Chancellor in the 1960s ? He was very proud of the fact that he had no father or mother. The Germans respected and admired his sincerity and honesty. He was popular. Also, the Germans expressed remorse and apologized for the Holocaust which the Japanese did not. I now leave you with your thoughts arising from Lee Lam Thye’s book. Think. We Chinese southerners are short and dark. Northern Asians are tall and big. Think !
Mr D. Our distinguished Lee Lam Thye intrigues us all. My ex-employee who was the college mate and buddy of Lee Lam Thye’s wife in Perth, Australia, was born i 1946. Lee Lam Thye is alleged to have been born 2 – 3 years earlier. It is important our Malaysian icons are true heroes of our time. A DNA Test will reveal the the blood lines of anyone whether from East Asia or Timbuctoo ! Agree Mr D ? I am also an admirer of Tan Sri Dato Dr Lee Lam Thye’s social activities like you. Our beloved Malaysia is now full of fakes like The Philippines in the 1960s. Malaysian Chinese tycoons lined up to declare either their fathers were wanton mee sellers, lorry drivers, rubber tappers or storerkeepers but strangely, no miners, to show the World how smart they are. Actually, their Partner and Father is the Government courtesy LHDN ! My father beat them all ! He was Towkay Loke Yew’s dishwasher in his Sungai Besi kongsi kitchen, aged 16 ! History is the finest arbiter of the Truth.
Sir
No problem. I was once intrigued with LLT too.
Cheers
Mr H. I am pleased I was not abused and insulted by DAP red bean types like in 2018. It’s a pleasure to find our beloved Malaysia still has well-spoken gentleman like you ! Keep smiling.
Aah…to save his neck/s, Zahid et Al used UMNO as the sacrificial lamb.
He n his mates ostracised PAS, PN and fellow mbees were axed or moved away from their incumbent seats.
It was ruthless and brutal, as Shahidan and Khairy’s case show.
PAS was willing to partner them, now we know why they were rejected since Z was in cahoots with UMNO’s enemy DAP/AI.
UMNO can still heal, but only if Z et al is purged.
On the horizon, Khairy is the only one with potential PM qualities. ….
Poor UMNO!!
Mr D, Sir. You mean we have to carry the 4th Floor boys again 2004-2008 ? During this period, our beloved Malaysia lost her Jurassic rocks to Singapore founded in 1819 and 1,000,000 barrels of sanctioned Saddam Hussein oil as reported by the UN or a hardcore PAP cadre was appointed the UMNO owned NSTP Chief Editor with a lush Sime Darby contract in his pocket, to teach us Ulu fellows Singlish, whilst the Avenue was hijacked on the way to the wide opened doors of the Khazanah with the Singaporeans and ex-Malaysians showing the way and more ! Hence, I proposed Muda to go up to Oxford to do better and takeover the hot UMNO seat on his return with BA., MPhil (Oxon) ! Acheh !
Dear Helen,. I can’t read the comments since they are appearing horizontally in a line now. Do I need to upload wordpress on my android or is there a bug on my phone, LOL! Also, some of my comments went missing…
Thx!
I’m sorry about the comments appearing squeezed on your mobile. Is it possible for you highlight, copy and paste them on Notepad in order to read?
I can’t think of a solution, and nor do I know how to fix this problem at my end.
I’ve just checked my Spam queue. No comments of yours were misdirected there. You’re welcome to repost them if they were lost in transit.
Thx Helen. The previous post is normal again.
The replies from other posters are still scrambled though.
Good day!
Dear Anon,
You can alert me as as to which text block looks squeezed. I’ll copypaste & repost.
As I understand it, the further down-thread any comment appears (i.e. after multiple replies by different commenters back & forth), the more squeezed the reply will look.
As a practical remedy to work within this problematic formatting, you can post your response as a NEW comment directed at Uncle AK (or whoever) and noted with timestamp.
With a fresh comment – rather than hitting the ‘Reply’ key – you get a roomy comment space.
The problem of our beloved Malaysia is a Malaysian problem, a Malay related problem which affects us all. On this point, we as Malaysians must stand and help whenever our help is required. This is not the time to be frivolous and deride others. It is a time when all of us must not think only of ourselves and families but importantly of our homeland, Malaysia, its present and future. Little detractors, domestic and foreign will be many. Those with us truly will stand with us truly ! It is time for the 6 million Chinese, Malaysian Chinese or Chinese Malaysians to take stock that they have achieved much in this land since they first arrived centuries ago and have contributed much with blood, sweat and tears to its Sovereignty and National Interest since. For my part, I wanted to set an example which cannot be erased as a Chinese born and bred in this beautiful land, peoples and natural resources. It happened by chance. My brother who was my guardian took all my money. Instead of going on to Stanford to do research in therapeutics, I became a RM401 a month houseman at the KLGH with no money in my pocket. My first emergency case was a 12 year old Malay boy in coma arriving at 1 a. m. in the morning. It took me 1 hour to find a vein for the drip. I had cold sweat and shaking hands because where I was trained, I was not permitted to touch the patients. Fast to 1965, in 2 weeks, I put up an international shooting range in a tin tailing for the SEAP Games at Tun Abdul Razak’s request. He wanted to open the Selangor Shooting Association controlled by 33 Hakkas to all races. By 1972, Malaysia not only won a Gold Medal for trap shooting but had many multiracial teams at international meets since. The Association is the only one today with millions of ringgits in its coffers. By 1972, as a member of the Board of Directors, Bank Negara Malaysia, I could influence the Board to invest in Gold which kept the Ringgit at RM1 = SG$1.03 till 1981, to change its Currency Board mentality to that of a Central Bank, to establish my 1972 Concept to capture Sime Darby to fast track the Malays into big business, to establish the National Savings Bank in 1975, to make the commercial banks toe the line etc. By 1984, I was in a team of 3 appointed to restructure Bank Bumiputra Malaysia. By 1990, I became pivotal in the affairs of Lee Lam Thye, his wife and their remisier buddy, UMNO Baru and the Official Assignee. I feel always as a Malaysian contributing without seeking any reward or honours like all my fellow 6 millions Malaysian Chinese who were called all sorts of names around the World yesterday and today. In Malaysia, we should all stand proud and strong together for having come a long way since Merdeka 1957 ! History is the finest arbiter of the Truth. Where else but Malaysia ? Courtesy Shangri-La Hotels.
Here is a true story why UMNO like the MCA cannot make a come-back. In 1982, I was invited to a MCA dinner at the hotel opposite the Sungai Wang Complex, KL. Suddenly, a Deputy Minister appeared by my side and shouted, ‘ We fight them ! We fight them ! They called us Toong Kwok Mahu !’ As an outsider, I was surprised at this outburst against a fellow front man. Not long afterwards, the Bukit Tunku Residents Association’s members turned up at his palatial residence in Bukit Tunku to seek his help to deter the property developers from building condos in Bukit Tunku. He was no where to be found. But during a GE a year or two later, I saw him in short pants and slippers with his young son in a Mall looking happy and satisfied. I thought to myself, ‘ No wonder the MCA never made good with the Chinese !’ Where else but Malaysia ? Courtesy Shangri-La Hotels.
Mr Damocles. Before our good HA closes this column, I like to put in my 2 sens worth of facts on our distinguished Tan Sr Dato Seri Dr Lee Lam Thye, his wife and their remisier buddy who caused them to face a monumental financial disaster until I came along with the mechanics of UMNO Baru redeeming the assets of old UMNO from the Official Assignee. The facts. 1. Credit must be given to you for bringing up the distinguished Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Lee Lam Thye. 2. Surprisingly, with all the facts on the Tan Sri presented by me, you do not seemed to feel anything ! 3. Do you now realize that without acknowledging me as his saviour who gave him, his wife and remisier buddy a new lease of Life when they were facing inevitable death, he would not have been a social acitivist loaded with honours ? 4. Therefore, without mentioning me as the pivotal person who changed his fortunes together with his wife and their remisier buddy in his autobiography, what is the value of his book but to whitewash his chequered career. 5. I always returned all favours given to me in my Life. I do not look down on others even taxi drivers. Nor pretend I am super. 6. Their remisier buddy was saved by me THREE TIMES – in 1975, when he was only earning RM 500 per month and wearing short pants and slippers. In 1990, the trio, our Tan Sri, his wife and their remisier buddy stuck in a monumental financial crisis of their own making !. In 1993, I insisted that their remisier buddy left his sharebroking job ! 6. Our mutual friend’s biggest mistake was to publish a book which was no autobiography at all but something else ! In Malaysia, we must always expect the unexpected ! Acheh !
Mr D. You are great. Until you mentioned the distinguished YB Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Lee Lam Thye, I forgot my good deed of saving the lives of Tan Sri, his wife and their remisier buddy which was hidden in the deep recesses of my brain ! Here is another true story in comparison to the distinguished Tan Sri. In 1961, a big and fat comatose Eurasian gentleman was brought to Ward 14 KLGH where I was on call. He was unconscious. His son, a big fat young man accompanied his father. For1 full hour I attempted to resuscitate him but to no avail. He died under my hands. I was completely exhausted. I failed to save him. Surprisingly, his son came up to me and thanked me for trying to save his father’s Life. I was so moved by this gesture that I cried openly in front of him because here was a person who was grateful and appreciated the attempts to save his father’s Life. In fact the only person who did this during my sojourn at the KLGH where I saved another 10 sure to die lives who walked away without the knowledge of their brushes with death. I did not expect a reward and did not blame them as they were not doctors. The Eurasian boy was the milk of human kindness. Therefore, on YB Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Lee Lam Thye, the least he could have done was to acknowledge my PIVOTAL ROLE which appeared at the most momentous crisis of his Life in his eponymous book which is no autobiography if core facts are left out. Who could have saved their lives him, a nobody then, his wife and their remisier buddy who caused the financial crisis of monumental proportions ending with the certainty of death but your good friend and his Renong Berhad ? It was the dynamics or mechanics of Renong Berhad which saved them. Not only that, he reinvented himself as a ‘ social activist ‘ and ended up festooned with loads of honours lauded by all ! If YB Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Lee Lam Thye is a full blooded Chinaman worth his salt, his conscience will tell him to publish the revised Second Edition of his incomplete book with a Chapter entirely devoted to his saviour and Renong Berhad ! There is no shame in this but underlines the important virtue known as HONOURABLE. in a country which now attempts to return to the basics or virtues like Honour, Honesty, Trustworthiness, Loyalty, Ethics, Standards, Propriety, Filial Piety, Sacrifice, etc. Where else but Malaysia ? Courtesy Shangri-La Hotels.
Dear Uncle AK,
Thx for sharing more about LLT. And yr amazing houseman stories in KLGH. I interacted closely with several housemen and understand the gruelling schedule and stress they face.
Like I said bfor, my opinions or op end pieces are based on what i know n is reported publicly.
I left in 88 – wide eyed and still unnocent- n didn’t pay much attention to what was happening back home thereafter.
I never read LLT’s book either, just read about its launch.
Anyway, I m not great and far from it.
What we see is the tip of the iceberg like Helen said.
What is underneath is perhaps a piece twice or 200 times the volume, of different properties and composition
Yesterday, trudging thru the melting snow hurriedly hoping to reach the base of the mountain bfor sunset , I was so moved by the acts of a group of young men who shone their flashlights on the track and helped guide me down the last 50 m of a slippery, treacherous rocky track.
The views were breathtaking all the way up at the top, but I had miscalculated how soon darkness would set in. I had wasted 15 minutes playing with a feral mountain cat – very furry and friendly – n taking pics of him midway. And another 10 spying on at a red and black woodpecker in action on the pines.
It was completely dark when we hit the base. I thanked them profusely, only to be greeted with them shaking their heads, saying it was a privilege to be able to help another human being in need.
I still have faith in the goodness of the human race……
Good nite, sir.
Mr D. Many thanks for a very civilized response. No abuse or insults from a commoner. Enjoy your stay and avoid the avalanches !