Of transformation : The needs, the demands, the capability and ...

Officiating the opening of joint UMNO Wanita - Pemuda and putri wings, UMNO's number 2 outline part of his wish list. His 66 paragraph speech acknowledge the importance of new media and the need to stamp out money politics. Personally, it is a good speech but whether UMNO can follow through with the contents of the speech is another matter.

It is easy to list down the virtues with the dos' and the don'ts....but to live up to that expectation is another matter altogether.

NTR mention 2 battle cries - Berani Berubah and espirit de corp...so readers, u can now see that NTR is actually banking on either MM or KJ to win. Sayonara KT...you are now out of the picture....

Since the voting has started, it is no point to pore over who will win the UMNO youth. I have given my piece here.

In paragraph 31, NTR has implicitly mentioned that Wanita UMNO is doing fine and there is no neccesity to revamp the wing for temporary euphoria. That says a lot about NTR's respect towards Rafidah Aziz. She may not be receiving the loudest applause last night, but win or lose, she will walk out with her heads held high in pride. I still maintain what I write in terms of my choice on who should be the Wanita chief.

NTR keep on harping on the need to transform if UMNO were to stay relevant in Malaysian politics. UMNO must realise that their strength comes from the grassroots support and not from the elitist few. In this turbulence, UMNO needs to find the right footing if they were to stand against the "winds of change" sweeping the country and now gripping in Sarawak.

In this aspect, UMNO is at par with PKR in finding stability. PKR is hit by the defections in Perak, the resignation of Kedah exco, the resignation of DCM no 1 post of Penang. This clearly indicates that PKR is now the weak link in PR.

It is now the race against time and who can stabilise earlier will have distinct advantage over the other. Anwar can forget about becoming the next PM for this coming 3 years. NTR has already smell the sweetness of PM's post, it's only a matter of crossing the line.

Anwar needs to forget about accusing others in PKR's failures to get good and clean reps. PKR is becoming an embarassment to PR. How long can PR stand with PKR's endless problems. Time will show.

NTR needs to get UMNO regroup and prepared for the battles to come. UMNO can forget about Bukit Gantang. As it is, Bukit Gantang will be painted green, comes 7th April 2009. NTR's best chance is to recapture Bukit Selambau since tat will be represented by PKR.

For Batang Ai, it will be touch and go. If Zorro and his team of BR bloggers can penetrate the Rumah panjang with their brand of campaigning, BN may lost the seat. And that will be the beginning of ATM's downfall in Sarawak.

NTR has outline the transformation needed by UMNO. And UMNO, by now, understands the needs to transform. UMNO understand the demands and the sacrifice that they need to offer to gain the masses's re-acceptance of UMNO but the foremost question is whether UMNO has the capability to transform or they has misplaced that capability.

UMNO has turn into an elitist group, zooming and out with fancy cars, play polo instead of soccer, nights out in bars and lounges instead of warung kopi, pray in shopping complexes instead of suraus and masjids, wear suits instead of baju melayu wwith skull cap, cigar smoking in 5 star hotels instead of rokok dauns...in short UMNO has lost its identity. To transform, UMNO needs to go backs to basics and then move forward with the transformation.

UMNO now is a cheerleading party, with putris, UMNO youths donning t-shirts wih candidate numbers, shouting their voice hoarse to canvass for that extra additional votes. They are no longer the "budak kampung" who are rich in adat ketimuran melayu. What they are now, is a reflection of their leaders aspiration...rude and arrogant. Don't believe me? Just see for yourselves the happenings in and around PWTC...you will be surprised....

So, to my UMNO friends...the time for change is here, the call for transformation is there, it is either UMNO is willing to change or forever stuck in their own time zone, out of touch with reality and spurned by the masses...

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...