YOURSAY | ‘Khaled’s sweet talk sounds hollow when words are not backed up by deeds.’

Umno veep: Genuine power-sharing needed, not appointing token non-Malays

OCT: Enough of this false pretence of power-sharing. History has shown that even partners MCA and MIC during BN’s glory days were useless.

The way Umno vice-president Khalid Nordin puts it is that he just woke up to find that MCA and MIC had been sidelined and Umno had been doing all the hard work to entice the non-Malays.

All the while, the non-Malays have known that MCA and MIC have never been consulted regarding non-Muslim matters by the numerous gaffes created by the BN/PN government.

Look at the Budget 2022 allocation, it shows that non-Malays were allocated very little compared to the Malays.

It is always election time that the rakyat will hear Umno saying they will be race inclusive but once Umno has won the election, its pledges will be gone with the wind.

It is the same old record repeated many times that the rakyat are very tired of. MCA and MIC have no power/authority to voice their views in the government. In the end, both of them are mere 'yes' men.

After Tan Siew Sin, MCA has never been awarded the finance minister post by Umno. Don’t expect Umno to include non-Malays in any of their decision-making.

Kim Quek: Umno has been synonymous with kleptocracy and racism, which is exemplified by its racial supremacy doctrine of “ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy).

That Umno has not repented from its bitter defeat in the 14th general election is seen in its continuing denial of any wrongdoing in the 1MDB infamy and its unrelenting agitation to rev up racist bigotry during Pakatan Harapan’s brief rule.

Khaled, your pre-election sweet talk of genuine power-sharing with the non-Malays sounds hollow when words are not backed up by deeds.

I can assure all Malaysians that instead of bringing stability and progress, the return of such racist kleptocrats to power is guaranteed to bring further disaster to the nation.

FairMalaysian: Umno literally turned non-Malays into second-class citizens and in some cases, even worse than that.

It had a perpetual and uninterrupted rule for more than 60 years and it could have done a lot for the non-Malays and treated them as equals. Greed and selfishness prompted them to grab anything that they could lay their hands on.

Khaled is not the first to be "genuine" in his offer to non-Malays. Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that too and fellow former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave hope but it all just vapoured off and it was (and is) to fish for non-Malay votes.

The non-Malays don't even trust the non-Malay parties of MCA and MIC, so why then would they trust the Malay parties?

BobbyO: If you are genuine in what you said about ‘token appointments’, then replace MCA and MIC with DAP.

Make sure that they are not just puppets appointed to sit as ministers. They should have their say over their ministries and not just take instructions from Umno.

Replace PAS with Amanah as they are more educated and moderate.

If you love this nation as you say and want it to prosper for the sake of all Malaysians, walk the talk. Don’t just make empty statements.

Remove the kleptocrats and all those not only power crazy but greedy in accumulating as much wealth and assets as possible. Investigate each politician or businessperson involved in giving and receiving corrupted funds.

Clean up all government agencies under the possible control of politicians. Set them free and answerable to Parliament or a commission of individuals who are highly respected and have integrity.

If not, just stop being a hypocrite. Stop talking of national unity and the nation's prosperity.

Mat M Din: Malaysia is a multiracial society and destined to remain so, there is no power on earth that can restructure the society. As there is no other option, Malaysians have to adapt to living in a multiracial society and make it workable and mutually beneficial.

It is good that Umno has realised this and suggested a genuine power-sharing in governing the country, not tokens.

In order to have a strong and genuine power-sharing government, the parties selected to share in ruling the country should have the strong support of the three major ethnic groups - Malay, Chinese and Indians.

It seems that the combination of Umno, DAP and PKR is the best choice to form the coalition government.

Once the coalition government is established, everybody has to be treated as equal, affirmative action for the Malays to be abolished and Malays have to compete on merits.

In competing on merits, Malay graduates will not face any problem, as they will be competing with the non-Malays who are second best, as most of the best have migrated. Malay graduates should prove that they are equally good and maybe better.

Mazilamani: The approach taken by Khaled, if genuinely well-intended is to be welcome. I hope it is also the general belief of top Umno leaders.

Many Malaysians feel that we have lost our way and unity a long time ago, and the healing has to begin somewhere.

To achieve that we need Umno leaders with race-forging intentions. In selecting the best candidates for state exco or cabinet positions, qualification and experience must be prioritised over position fighting, except for certain sensitive positions.

Accept the fact we have regressed by almost three decades in most sectors, primarily in the education sector. Countries that were once far behind us are moving forward, including overtaking us.

This mediocre achievement can be retraced to poor leadership, unqualified, clueless and directionless ministers.

Two things must come into place, racial harmony and unity and appointing the right people, not just politicians but also in the public and private sectors.

Let us return to the glorious days just after Merdeka. We then had the best PM, highly educated and dedicated ministers and businesspeople focused on building the nation.

Clever Voter: It is easy for the former Johor MB to wish for things that are not going to happen. It is even easier to give more handouts and contracts to just bumiputeras. That would also go down well with his grassroots.

Whatever it is, the damage is done, with mediocracy continuing to spread deeper into the societal veins and arteries. True power-sharing among the crooked politicians from all sides isn't going to help, which explains why MCA has just one parliamentary seat.

Khaled has a misplaced belief; the answer includes uprooting the rent-seeking culture and the political elites’ immoral lifestyle. Perhaps he could test the water.

Very Concerned Citizen: Now Khaled talks about power-sharing. You know why? He knows Johor is not made of one race but this big state comprises a multiracial and multi-religious society.

Also, he knows there is a possibility of the opposition winning this state election because of the mess this backdoor government is in now and with a slim majority.

If he is serious, he should approach Harapan and talk to them now.

Anak JB: Well, it is election time and candy and sweeteners are being sold. After 60 years of systemic casting aside and discrimination while in power, what has changed?

Umno has lost the support of its Malay base and the fight for Malay votes are getting too crowded and competitive. Now it is trying to woo the non-Malays. A leopard can never shed its spots, unfortunately.

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