Out of the blue I received this SMS from my 20ish year old nephew on the evening of Jan 30 this year.
“About time” was my first thought.
I realized that it was a huge decision on his part to forsake Umno for PKR.
Ever a keen party supporter, my nephew would try his level best to participate in everything Umno organizes.
If I am not mistaken, he was part of the Putra cadre – the ball carrier, the tukang sorak and an ardent so-called cyber trooper albeit in the chat rooms.
He would smile whenever we – his uncles that is - try to rile him on the “vile” ways of Umno, never wavering in his belief that the party is the best there is for the Malays.Then came the SMS.
In all honesty, the party is worse off without support from youngsters like my nephew.
He is highly interested in history; read voraciously the relevant books on how the country gain independence, the party’s role, books on all the party personalities, and even knows all the “members-only” in house jokes on the Umno big wigs.
For the 20ish something young man, he is somewhat the odd few out in being interested in politics when others his ilk would rather be Rempiting or worse.
Alas, it is the current Umno we are talking about.
An Umno that disgusts and exasperates in equal measure.
He received his first personal taste in the corrupt ways of a party that is fast losing touch with its roots during the last branch meetings.
The details are pretty sketchy to say the least, but it has something to do with the local branch having decided the winner of supposed poll before the poll even takes place.
He did what was needed and engineered a walkout from the meeting.
I wonder how many of the more seasoned politicians would be able to do such a thing.
More often than not, they resorts instead to name calling, chair throwing or, worse, fights.
One thing that I realized of my nephew is that he is looking hard for a source of inspiration.
Both personally as well as politically, actually.
I’m leaving out the personal bit, but on the political side, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, warts and all, remains THE one.
Even bought tee shirts with the former PM’s face: one each for him and his younger brother.
While many of us are getting more disillusioned with the seeming “don’t care about the rakyat” nature of politicians from both divide, evidently my nephew didn’t.
How I wish I were able to do something similar.
Show me a truly political party for the Rakyat and I will gladly make the jump.
As of now, I’ll stay on the sidelines and let my nephew be the vanguard instead.
2 comments:
This is the sad thing about it all - the inertia. EVERYONE including those inside it, and are actively involved, know that Umno has gotten rotten and "must change". No one will disagree. But things are allowed to go on as usual.
The other alternatives aren't so ideal either. But I understand your nephew here - he feels it's not worth his time, energy and emotional involvement anymore. And who are we or others to say otherwise?
But the good thing about him is that "he is still interested, still involved"... he will do "what's right". And that's something to take comfort in.
I would like to rescind my membership too. What is the easiest way to do it?
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