Tawfik Ismail observed UMNO to dislike of toxic audience

MM Online - Three things we learnt from: The Umno general assembly 2017 and its preparation for GE14 (extracts):

Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak delivered a fiery policy speech last Thursday, one that outlined in clear terms what he expected of the party machinery, and how he wants them to fight.

But ultimately his speech also provided a window into the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman’s current mindset: what his worries were and where his confidence is.

His biggest threat and worry for GE14 has to be his erstwhile so-called mentor, who had served as PM of Malaysia for 22 long years, 93-year old Mahathir Mohamad. Strange as it might seem, the former UMNO Boss today leads the federal opposition Pakatan Harapan which included the DAP which he detested and constantly vilified until of late.

Surely, it's either a case of Saul on the road to Damascus or he is a bloody hypocrite like King David, wakakaka.

Malay Mail observes 3 particular issues UMNO has stressed upon in its general assembly:

1. Betrayal (wakakaka)

UMNO leadership including delegates have gone to great extent to chant the mantra of Mahathir's trumpery, treachery & treason, that the former UMNO leader is now a traitor, turncoat & tergiversator (a rat, so to speak) not only to UMNO but to the bangsa Melayu and its bumiputera agenda.

They repetitively highlighted Mahathir's defection to the Opposition especially the DAP as the ultimate betrayal, perhaps a la Raja Mundalier of the citty community in 16th Century Malacca Sultanate.

And the Malay Heartland, whose votes count most as they consist of more than 111 federal constituencies, will naturally hate a traitor to the bangsa Melayu.

OTOH, voters in rural electorates are also likely to remember many of Mahathir’s contribution as PM.

MM Online stated: Which is why playing to Malay psyche, like normalising the idea that the Dr Mahathir of Umno is dead, only the traitor lives, will be instrumental in helping Najib contain the threat posed by the former and his newly-found political vehicle, the all-Bumiputera Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).

2. Loyalty/Unity - I won't talk on this, wakakaka.

3. Moderation?

As many observed, this was something unexpected in an UMNO assembly. Observers had expected the racist diatribes and scaremongering to continue and even intensify in the run up to GE-14.

But none of the previous bigotry or ultra-religious rhetoric showed during this year’s assembly.

MM Online reported: Instead, leaders and delegates stressed on moderation, and made almost no mention of PAS or any of the Islamic catchphrases like “Shariah” or “Muslim unity” that were so favoured by delegates in the previous meeting.

Najib stressed this in his policy speech, saying Umno was not an anti-Chinese or a racist party and accentuated on conciliatory words like “inclusive”, “co-operation” and “harmony”.

Like their president, delegates echoed the tone not only in their debates, but also in the manner of speech; most were civil and polite, a far cry from the truculent attitudes prevalent in past assemblies.

This suggests that Umno may not have abandoned efforts to reach out to the minorities and the urban Malays.

But as some of my blog visitors have been wont to remind me, wasn't this the bloke who wanted to bath his keris with Chinese blood some thirty years ago?

But my visitors have been the very people who argued that Mahathir can change (though not repent nor apologise wakakaka), then I would like to ask them, what about Najib? (wakakaka again).

Yes, has Najib changed, or has he been hypocritical, as Mahathir also might have been, wakakaka again.

But look at both Najib's and Mahathir's intrinsic character respectively and you tell me who's sincere and who's the hypocrite, wakakaka 3rd time.

Meanwhile, FMT reported Tawfik Ismail saying that it has been ‘Good to see Umno in moderate mode’:

The son of the late Tun Dr Ismail, who has been at odds with UMNO, has unusually commended UMNO for showing moderation during the party's recent general assembly. He said that UMNO's tone was less chauvinistic then in the last few annual assemblies.

Speaking to FMT, he noted that Umno’s top leadership made it clear that the party was looking for a general election multi-racial victory.

Tawfik said, “Hopefully the delegates will go away taking a step back from Malay chauvinism.”

Tawfik also noted delightfully that there was not much talk from Najib about cooperation with PAS and welcomed this, saying “It was surprising, but maybe it’s because he’s confident that the Malay ground is more geared towards economic achievement than religious dogma.”

However, Tawfik would have been happier if UMNO indicated it would protect Malaysia’s secular foundation, but said, “But I guess that would be expecting too much.”

But Tawfik's observations have not gone well with some Pakatan more ardent supporters, one of whom (identity not provided, wakakaka) said in FMT readers-interactive-comments (unedited), that:

Such pious platitudes from someone who is Arthur one day now with the smell of a Barisan victory in his nostrills he is Martha but still remains unsure as to who he really is.

Malaysia's secular credentials is without question recognized by its friends and foes alike abroad where it matters. Not from an elite vessel of has beens and derivatives who have nothing to contribute and who run away from the kitchen when the heat is turned up.

UMNO is geared to lead the nation to another resounding victory along with its Barisan allies.

This is a dired oilve branch that Tawfik Ismail a strident critic of government for all the wrong reasons holds up in his withered hand.

A little too little a little too late. Perhaps he belongs in G25 and not in UMNO.

Obviously he does NOT know who is Tawfik Ismail, and even if he does, his political mindset is so full of toxic that he had remarked as above.

I responded: Tawfik Ismail is surely the son of the illustrious allahyarhum Tun Dr Ismail, the best PM* we did NOT have (as DPM and acting PM while Razak was abroad, he died early from heart attack).

[* I used to describe Ku Li as the best PM* we did NOT have, but while I still respect Ku Li, I think the late Tun Dr ismail had an edge on him]
Father and son spoke/speaks the unpleasant truth, much to the displeasure of toxic political adherents on both sides.