“Returning Umno to power would be devastating, regardless of timing” – Ramasamy

It is stupidity, cruelty and unkind to hold the GE15 during the monsoon season this year. One man who is none other than the Umno president Ahmad Zaid Hamidi wants the GE to held this year, the sooner the better. He regrettable remarked, rain or shine, the GE15 must be held this year.

His reasoning is simple: BN in which Umno is the super ordinate party has a better chance of winning the GE15 if held this year in comparison to next year year as requested by the opposition after the monsoon season.

It is not that urgent the election should be held this year, there is time until the middle of next year. Why the urgency with the constant pressure exerted by Umno on Prime Minister Ismail Saberi Yaacob for the GE15 to be held in next two or three months.

I am not sure whether Ismail is running out of ideas in holding off the pressure from Umno. The call for the dissolution of the Parliament to announce the GE15 is inextricably related to the fears and concerns of the Umno court cluster.

Since the former prime minister Najib Razak had been convicted and jailed, the chances are high that others might be convicted and jailed too.

Najib’s wife has been convicted for corruption although the execution of the judgment has been stayed as a result of her appeal.

Zahid is already in the dock for allegations of corruption.

The trial has not been be concluded yet. There are other Umno leaders who might face corruption charges and be possibly convicted.

Thus the constant call for an early election is to save the skin of the corrupted Umno leaders before they are found guilty of massive corruption.

There is thinking that Umno might emerge triumphant in the coming GE15 with the possibility that Najib might be pardoned and freed and the court cases of others might be postponed indefinitely.

Which means in other words, the corrupted Umno leaders will emerge unscathed as result of political power in their hands. This is the scenario painted by the Umno court cluster members with Zahid being the main spokesperson.

I don’t understand the logic behind the thinking of Zahid that the call for the election next year might benefit the opposition by giving them more time to expose the corrupt misdeeds of the Umno leaders.

In fact, Umno has been fully exposed on corruption not just the 1MDB but recent the billion ringgit scandal associated with the littoral combat ship project. There are countless other corruption cases mostly involving Umno leaders and members.

So much so, corruption has become synonymous with Umno.

The littoral combat ship project being investigated by the MACC has laid bare the involvement of Umno politicians in the massive corruption involving about RM6 billion.

This is not to mention the cases against Zahid and others.

Time might be useful for the opposition, but the corruption of Umno leaders have been laid bare and exposed.

I don’t really know how ordinary people who could cast their votes in favour of Umno or BN having understood the diabolic nature of corruption and its effects on the country.

Early election is needed not just to have BN returned to power, but also ensure court cases against Zahid and others are not finalised before the election.

Zahid is worried to the maximum if he is convicted then the possibility of him remaining as Umno president and BN chairman might be jeopardised.

In this respect, calling for an early election seems inextricably tied to saving Zahid from being convicted. Pardoning Najib and the freeing of others might not be the real priority of Zahid.

His selfishness is so cystal clear that the call for an early GE15 is mystified as the possibility of Umno coming to power.

As thought if Umno comes to power all the wrongs could be whitewashed all of a sudden. Ismail might not be able to hold off GE15 for too long.

The constant obsession on the part of Umno is something that he is finding difficult to deal with. The fact he is only the vice-president of Umno makes it difficult for him to control the party.

He might have obtained the support of some of those aligned with Najib, but Zahid by virtue of being the president has a significant hold on the party.

Umno is divided into various factions. It is more divided that ever before. But because Zahid by virtue of being the president can nominate candidates for the election, Ismail is caught in a trap.

So much so, if Zahid has his ways, he might not even nominate Ismail to be a candidate in the next election. Ismail is under a tremendous pressure.

As a prime minister of the country, he would want the GE15 to be held next year after the monsoon season is over. However, as the vice-president of Umno, he has no choice but adhere to the directive of Umno, I mean Zahid.

Ideally, Ismail would have a preferred a scenario where Zahid would have been convicted of corruption. If this had happened, then Ismail would be acting as more like a prime minister rather than a second echelon Umno leader.

It really baffles me to think that Umno is equating an early election to its victory. How this could be predetermined remains to be seen. Given the fact that Umno has no other viable options to give new lease of life to those who are corrupted, those who might have been convicted and those who might be convicted, an early election remains the only but uncertain alternative.

It is like a drowning man grasping even a straw to save his life.

This is how desperate Umno is under the leadership of Zahid.

Malaysians must make up their mind whether they want Umno and BN be returned to power.

The consequences would be devastating to say the least.

The opposition wants the GE15 to held next year so as to avoid the monsoon season end of this year.

Heavy rains and the possibility of floods might disrupt the lives of ordinary people. Yet Umno leaders like Zahid have no concern on the hardship that might befell on the people during the monsoon season.

Seeking power at all costs seems to be overriding narcissistic objective of Umno to save the crooks.