Has Umno changed?

“Umno has changed…It’s time for other component parties to change.”

PRIME Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, speaking at the Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) convention on 7 Apr 2010. He said that losing Selangor to the Pakatan Rakyat was just “temporary”, and a signal that people wanted the BN to change. “[It’s] not that the people like [the] opposition,” he said. (Source: PM says losing Selangor a “temporary setback”, theSun, 8 Apr 2010)

“I am Malay first, but being Malay doesn’t mean I am not Malaysian…How can I say I’m Malaysian first and Malay second? All the Malays will shun me…and it’s not proper.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, after being challenged by DAP’s Lim Kit Siang to declare whether he was Malay or Malaysian first. However, the officially stated goal of Najib’s Government Transformation Programme is to ensure Malaysians perceive themselves as “Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second”. Lim thus asked Muhyiddin to resign, but Najib defended Muhyiddin’s position as consistent with 1Malaysia. (Source: Muhyiddin: I’m Malay first, Malaysiakini, 31 March 2010)

“They felt victimised and feel that there is another valid explanation on their part. There was no intention on their part to cause racial divide.

They, the organisers, who are sitting left and right of me, didn’t even know that somebody was going to bring the head of the cow during that demonstration.”

Home Minister and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, empathising with protesters who dragged a severed cow’s head during their protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple in Shah Alam. The Malay Muslim Malaysian protesters had earlier threatened bloodshed and “racial tension” if their demands were not met. (Source: Hisham defends cow-head protesters, The Malaysian Insider, 2 Sept 2009)

“I urge them to be wary and responsible toward peace and security in Malaysia. Other church leaders must have deep understanding of the situation and history (on the use of ‘Allah’) in the country.”

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Umno supreme council member Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, encouraging church leaders to back down on claiming the use of the word “Allah”. At the same time, Jamil called for more interfaith dialogue. (Source: Other church leaders should adopt same approach — Jamil Khir, Bernama, 11 Jan 2010)