Speaking at the joint opening of the UMNO Youth and Wanita Assemblies today, Abdullah admitted that some voters view UMNO "with contempt and disgust" and warned that UMNO will become weak and impotent as a result of money politics and party infighting.
Abdullah’s answer to save UMNO from “the perception that UMNO is a corrupted institution” is the separation of UMNO politics from business.
It is most ironic that at a time when UMNO leaders are wakening up to the insidious corruption engendered by the mixing of politics with business, MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik is not only rushing unrepentantly in the opposite direction, but is flying directly against the wishes and aspirations of the Chinese community against any political party takeover of the Chinese press. As a result, there is a prevalent “contempt and disgust” with MCA in the Chinese community.
The 2,500 MCA delegates on Sunday should speak out loud and clear against the MCA takeover of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press and direct the MCA leadership in no uncertain terms to return the two Chinese newspapers to the Chinese community, with their press freedom and independence unhampered - failing which the MCA rank-and-file should launch a campaign for the removal of Ling as MCA President.
(20/6/2001)