UMNO has grown “scared” about championing certain issues after seeing its top leaders charged in court, the party’s Sg Besar chief Jamal Md Yunos said.
This is a culture that ought to change and Umno’s rank and file should learn from the way other parties like PAS and PKR mobilise to defend their leaders, the Red Shirts leader told The Malaysian Insight.
“If there are Umno leaders who have said or done something for the sake of the party, others must give support. Don’t attack them.
“We should emulate PAS and PKR. When their leaders were accused… they went to the extent of raising funds, paying for lawyers, and more.”
He said if Umno members didn’t learn to go all out for their leaders, the party will lack “brave leaders” in the future.
“If we don’t change, we will never know the potential of our members. Umno will no longer have brave leaders in the future, if this is allowed to continue. Such leaders are more interested in themselves.”
Jamal said he was speaking from his own experience, having received the cold shoulder from Umno members who looked down on him over his antics.
He, however, denies the stunts he pulled before the 14th general election were mere antics. Rather, they were actions to make a point about Pakatan Harapan and to defend Umno’s stand on certain issues.
“There are many who do not understand that what I was doing before the 14th general election was in fact about sending out a message (against PH). But I see that they now understand.
“For instance, the breaking of the beer bottles. I was labelled a thug but this was done in protest of the open beer festival which is prohibited in Islam,” he said, referring to his protest outside the Selangor assembly gates in October 2017 against the PKR-led government for allowing a beer festival to proceed.
“The same with my towel protest where in the end, many people knew that Selangor was facing a serious water crisis.”
Last year, after PH formed the federal government, Jamal was charged with attempting to leave the country illegally.
Earlier in May, he had escaped from a hospital where he was held after being charged with being a public nuisance over his beer-bottle-smashing act.
Jamal said some Umno members and leaders were unsympathetic towards him and told him he “got what I deserved”.
“I fought for Umno and was charged for it, and had to face the law alone.
“Such things weakened my spirit,” he said.
Jamal said he remained active after Barisan Nasional’s defeat in GE14 and is working quietly “behind the scenes”.
Prior to the election, he was actively mobilising his red-shirt movement, which took up Umno’s stand against Bersih rallies.
Asked about the lack of activity by the movement now, especially with a PH government in power, Jamal said the time is not “right”.
“For now, let the people evaluate the PH government themselves. We are observing and following the issues. But let the people be the ones to teach this lying government a lesson for not keeping its promises.”
He said it’s evident that PH is unable to rule effectively in Selangor as the parties and the menteri besar are busy politicking and dealing with internal party issues. – August 7, 2019.
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