BN is currently led by the unpopular Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who have been under tremendous pressure from both his own party United Malays National Organisation (Umno) and opposition party PR led by Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.
The BN comprises of 3 main parties, namely the Umno, Gerakan and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).
BN saw its unprecedented failure reflected in the polls during the March 8 elections, which indicates an extremely low level of trust the Malaysians have in the current BN-led government.
Accusations against Mr. Abdullah Badawi includes abuse of power, corruption and negotiated tenders with the government mainly channelled to Umno-associated companies, hence fuelling the citizen's anger. Badawi, sad to say, has never been able to shake all these accusations off, but instead found himself sinking deeper and deeper into the mud.
Dr Lim Keng Yaik's speech today can only serve to push Mr. Badawi to the point of no return. Dr Lim is BN's former president and the most influencial voice of the party. He had openly voiced out his dissatisfactions with the party, especially its crumbling defeat during the March elections.
According to The Malaysian Insider, Dr Lim did not have high hopes of the existing and next generation of political leaders to be enlightened on the dismal situation and to bring revival to the party. He added that Umno's defeat this year is mainly due to the "worst kind of Umno arrogance as a result of the 2004 elections", businesses awarded to Umno-associated companies that were primarily decided by "the Ministry of Finance..and not the Cabinet". Dr Lim also expressed concerns over the rising prices that are no regulated, racism and how Hindraf complicated the situation by making its debut into the political arena.
Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) staged government protests late last year against alleged discrimination against the ethenic-Indians. When questioned about whether Umno understood the underlying message that the citizens sent to them on March 8, Dr Lim gave a no.
However, Dr Lim appeared to be willing to grant Umno one last chance for redemption.
After digesting all the the media has willingly been feeding me with, doubts clouded my mind. Let's explore them one by one.
Firstly, why did Dr Lim only voiced out his opinion now? As Abdullah is hanging at the brink of exile from his Prime Minister's seat, is Dr Lim's speech ultimately trying to destroy him or lend him a helping hand? Is this only a ploy by BN to redeem themselves by asking a highly regarded leader to express his displeasure - which happens to coincide with what the majority of the population are thinking - then say that he is willing to grant the party one more chance? As long as the people knows that someone in power understands their point of view, and he is willing to give the party a chance, the people may follow suit. This move then woos all the supporters back to Mr. Badawi and party again.
The second scenario can be that Dr Lim has been quietly taking in all the displeasure until he decides that he can no longer tolerate silently and decides to break out of BN. However, Dr Lim holds a high position in the party. Couldn't he have done something or voiced out his opinions when he realises that Umno is travelling in the wrong direction? Why now? This is the most crucial question.
The third scenario: Dr Lim is bribed by Mr. Anwar Ibrahim. His speech is timely, especially to Anwar's promise that he will gather enough defectors by Sept 16 to topple the current coalition.
Ponder over these doubts I've raised.
And feel free to email me on any comments of your own analysis! :)
Labels: Malaysian Politics
