Saturday, September 10, 2016

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

11.9.2016.

After exactly one month from submission, on the 9th. of September, 2016, BERSATU was officially approved by ROS, with a couple of minor conditions that obviously have nothing to do with ROS requirements. One is that "Bersatu" must not be used by the party. The UMNO minister must be worried "Bersatu" sounds too close to the "Bersatu Bersetia Berkhidmat" slogan of UMNO, and people might get confused, and all to Bersatu's advantage. It seems that this won't deter supporters calling the brand new party BERSATU ! anyway, as the night at Ampangan showed.

Mahathir and the founders of BERSATU have been going peninsula-wide promoting their new organization. Yesterday, Saturday 10th. September, they came to Seremban.  This was the first time the founders put up their official red flags at a gathering. In fact at Ampangan  it was the second time, because they had an earlier gathering at Simpang Pertang and the flags were put up there, too. At Ampangan Muhyiddin said it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Maulud told me last week about yesterday's event.  I also saw it on the internet, and then Bok sms'd me about it. It was supposed to be at 8.30 pm on the open ground next to the "surau hitam" Ampangan. To avoid possible parking problems, the missus and I left the house after Magrib prayers, and parked the car in a  spot about 20 meters from the venue. By the time we came, vehicles were already arriving and digorging their occupants in front of  the "surau hitam". 

We had time, and went to one of the food outlets nearby for our dinner. We would have gone out for dinner, anyway, because the missus didn't cook yesterday, having attended our besan's kenduri at noon in S2. When the Isyak's prayer call came, I joined the surau's congregation.

I had determined to come for two reasons. I wanted to see what sort of crowd BERSATU can pull. I also wanted to see how Muhyiddin and Mahathir perform. I've heard them countless times over the years, but the circumstances have changed dramatically. I know that the Malaysian crowd can be a deceptive one. It draws both supporters and detractors, and  on top we have the "look & see" gawkers. You know, like the traffic that suddenly jam up both sides of the highways because everybody wants to gawk at the accident on one side. Malaysian crowds are also famous for being stingy with their public show of appreciation or otherwise. In both cases, I wasn't disappointed. And I think UMNO officials should take note, and not simply rubbish this new political party. There was a large crowd, and Mahathir and Muhyiddin delivered.

After the Isyak prayers I walked to the missus seated against the shophouse wall, and she was talking to Ainina, the exWanita UMNO from Langkawai who summoned Najib and "Teuku" Nan.

I've already read about her impressive scholastic background. When I asked what she's doing now, she didn't exactly gave a clear answer, except to say that she's been black-listed from all teaching jobs in the local universities. I wished her luck, and identified myself as an UMNO member !

I estimated the crowd at no less than 1,000. Maulud says more, because there were people on the side of the road, and cars were double-parked  right down to the DIY shop about 100 meters away. For a non-government event and a brand new entity, this is impressive showing. And it was loud, and there was easy banter between speakers and audience. The good p.a. system helped.

We're talking about veteran politicians and experienced speakers in both Muhyiddin and Mahathir. But I've seen their public speaking  wax and wain. Not this time, though. The subjects of mention were anticipated and already well-known and much talked-about. There were as usual no notes. Not like American politicians, with their notes and tele-prompters, and their well documented practice sessions and professional mc's. I don't easily fall under Malaysian speakers' spell.  I don't impress easy.  Mahathir sometimes mumble through inaudibly, and unsmiling Muhyiddin usually lacks dramatics, unlike Najib. But last night I give both 9 out of 10 !

Three earlier speakers did their part at working up the crowd, especially Ainina. Sanusi's son did ok, as also that Cikgu from PD whose name escapes me. Their speeches were sufficiently short but bolstered with revealing  personal anectdotes connected to the main theme of UMNO being lost under Najib. When Mahathir and Muhyiddin finally arrived, and Negaraku was played and sung heartily by everyone present, the mood was set. We were ready to hear what these two had to say.

Muhyiddin spoke first. Other than the brief must-have Quranic recitation (and Muhyiddin, a product of Johore religious classes, impressed with an uncommon verse) and a mercifully short salutation to the audience (these things can go forever in this country, believe me !) he went straight to point. A personal conversation with Najib  about 1MDB and the 2.6 billion "Arab" donation and Najib's negative response can only happen with these two.  Cost-of-living, sliding exchange rates,the DoJ civil action preceeding a criminal one on 1MDB in the US, and the sacking of Mukhriz after putting him up in GE 13 in the bid to beat PAS in Kedah were pertinent material strongly supported with direct personal knowledge that now the Ampang audience could hear live. There was the distinct mark of authenticity all over the story-telling. There were even a few shared laughters, not common with the Muhyiddin that I know of. You work the crowd, but you don't go overboard, I say.

Mahathir was quintessential. 

Cynicism often just ooze in the old man's speeches. Last night there was not too much of it, except when referring to the current Attorney-General and saying he studied law but only knows how to say "no case"! It was the soft-spoken, simply-worded descriptions of how to measure and imagine how much RM 2.6 billion is (2,600 lorry-loads, he said); how he was an UMNO member from 1946 and when Tunku sacked him in 1970, it never crossed his mind then about leaving the party; how people saw him when 1MDB was exposed and asked that he did something; about the talks he had with Najib following that, and Najib said "cash is king" and didn't do anything different; about how Malaysians were proud to be identified as Malaysians when abroad, but not now; about all the negative spin the Malaysian main media and tv give to the critics of Najib. Now he said he's no longer interested in asking Najib to go, he wants the whole "dedak-eating" gang and the entire  BN group to be defeated at the next GE. If it takes place, he added cynically

It's the simple language giving perspective to an unimagineable financial mess Malaysia may never fully recover from that gave the Ampang  audience a clearer  picture of this Najib-created  catasrophe. This should not be about winning a debate, as some quarters have suggested. This is about laying down the facts and figures so that there is no mistaking about what is wrong, what was done wrong, who are the wrong-doers, and what is the solution.

"The Shop" was closed at half-past eleven. But the real national crisis is far from closed. My fear is that the old Malay saying would apply: "win, and you are charcoal, lose, and you are ashes" ! BERSATU may very well beat BN in GE14, but nobody gets out of the big hole dug !

I took 2 copies of the application forms to become a BERSATU member, but couldn't hand in my form because I need to attach a photocopy of my I.C. 



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