Datuk Lokman Noor Adam’s recent tirade against Malays for not supporting Umno is a classic case of denial syndrome. In an interview with pro-government online media NRChannelTv, the Umno supreme council member lambasted the Malay community for dumping Umno since the last two elections.
Now, this inability to self-reflect is symptomatic of the party's larger disease: bootlickers and in-bred thinking. Umno did not lose elections because of the overly emotional Malays. Let's be frank— it lost because of its failure to shred its corruption-tainted, rotten image that has clung to it like a stubborn stain and infected the party from top to bottom like cancer.
The Umno communication director's remarks are a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. He chastises Malays for their supposed lack of rational thinking while conveniently ignoring the feudal mentality that continues to plague the grand old party. This mentality is epitomized by individuals like Lokman himself—bootlickers who refuse to challenge the status quo and instead choose to deflect blame onto the very rakyat they claim to represent.
Let me assure you. The mentality that the Malays still owe it to Umno is ubiquitous among the party's warlords, despite its embarrassing defeat in GE-15. Even today, Umno —nothing more than a shadow of its former self— appears unable to resonate with the modern Malays who demand accountability and transparent leadership.
Let’s discuss this “guilt trip” Lokman is trying to impose. He laments that Malays no longer support Umno because of Dap’s presence in the government, as though this fearmongering tactic still holds water.
Malays are no longer shackled by the psychological blackmail of “Umno or chaos.” They won't blindly follow Umno into the deep, dark forest anymore. As for the DAP, the Malays have every right to any party deemed unsuitable for their cause. Lokman— and Umno— need a gargantuan mirror erected in front of PWTC. UMNO's downfall is a self-inflicted wound from scandals that robbed the nation and infighting that mocked governance.
Lokman’s worldview seems stuck in the 1970s when the party was the unchallenged “abang besar” of Malaysian politics. But Malaysia has moved on, and so have the Malays. The younger voters are not beholden to UMNO’s nostalgia for “61 years of harmony.” Today's Malays are politically savvy, well-informed, and unafraid to call out incompetence and corruption—whether it comes from DAP, Umno, or anyone else.
They judge parties by their current deeds, not past glories. With Zahid as the henchman, Umno will be smeared with the 47 corruption cases of its president, just as it was smeared with the 1MDB scandal during Najib's era. Lokman’s rhetoric is drenched in condescension and denial, which, of course, would be a laughingstock of the pundits.
Umno’s real problem is its refusal to change, as evidenced by its shutting down the competition for the presidential post during its last party election. The party leadership remains bogged down by nostalgia, pining for the days when they could coast to victory without addressing the real issues affecting Malaysians.
Lokman’s comments underscore this refusal to evolve. Instead of introspecting on why Malays have turned their backs, he doubles down on blaming them, as though shaming voters is a winning strategy. It is not. Malays are tired of the gaslighting. The ‘liberal’ Malays gaslighted them. The non-Malays gaslighted them. And now, Umno?
The following general election would not be won by appealing to nostalgia or by guilt-tripping the electorate. It will be won by those who can offer them food on the table.
Its downward spiral will continue until Umno purges itself of leaders who cling to outdated mindsets and surround themselves with yes-men. Has Lokman forgotten how Najib was comforted by his own band of yes-men that he lost the general election?
The blame for that, Datuk Lokman, will rest squarely on the shoulders of people like you, not the Malays you so eagerly disparage.
Ahmad Mustakim is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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