Responding to Mariam Mokhtar

Datuk Seri Syed Ali Alhabshee

One needs to pick and choose a fight. I believe there is no need to fight for the sake of fighting. But sometimes, when fight comes your way, you need to respond.

The latest accusation of me stating that “Syed Ali Alhabshee is Umno Baru’s latest weapon of mass destruction”, warrants a clarification about myself and my party.

Firstly Mariam Mokhtar should know that the speed of communication is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of that we know to be untrue as said by broadcast Journalist Edward R. Murrow.

The accusations of Mariam fall into that which is untrue. If certain parties feel that they can tarnish the image of Umno Baru and its members who are dedicated in serving the nation, then they are wrong.

UMNO  has undergone decades of impeccable leadership, has kept the political stability in the country and has successfully faced enemies who wanted to see it fail and the unity of the Malays to be destroyed.

Therefore accusations from Mariam do not surprise me as they are nothing new. However one should be very careful before criticizing UMNO as a party that diverts people’s attention by distracting them.

Is Mariam oblivious to the fact that Opposition DAP lawmaker, Tony Pua, does not want to declare his assets and is side stepping from the issue by saying that there is no need for non-executive individuals from the party to declare their assets?

Why is it so hard for Tony to declare his assets since Pakatan Rakyat is known for its propaganda; the so called “Commitment to Transparency”?

Therefore before pointing fingers at UMNO Baru, it would be wise for Mariam to look at the opposite camp as well.

Mariam  also fails to understand that I have asked all politicians to declare their assets as we are accountable to the rakyat.

And I have also called for a legal board to be set up to check and verify if the numbers declared are true, regardless of which party they belong to.

Our aim here is to expose people, who engage themselves in dishonest asset accumulation, to the public.

This is just one example to show that I am committed to the people.

Furthermore, saying that Utusan Malaysia is Umno’s mouthpiece is baseless.

This only reflects Mariam perception of the Malay broadsheet and not the public's. Someone of Mariam's calibre should know better than to shoot her mouth.

We, in the Barisan Nasional coalition, are only keen to serve the public.

We are also monitoring Pakatan Rakyat hardliners who are constantly engaging in manipulating the minds of the public and I hope that Mariam  can play fair as well.

Throughout my tenure so far as UMNO Cheras division chief, I have been committed to upholding values that unite the Malays. And at the same time, I have always looked into the aspirations of the Chinese, Indians and other races that make up the Malaysian society.

It should also be noted that we do not have the time to respond to all the criticisms and accusations that are constantly aimed at us as these are merely to destroy UMNO's reputation in the society.

But Mariam is right. I am a weapon of mass destruction.

I am a weapon of mass destruction to anyone who possesses a threat to the sovereignty of Malaysia.

I am a weapon of mass destruction to any force, which tries to disrupt the harmony of our society that is made up of various races and religions.

I am weapon of mass destruction to anyone who tries to manipulate the minds of the public and lead them astray.

To those who are going all out to tarnish  UMNO's image, please understand that all your criticisms only make us stronger by the day.

All your criticisms make us, Malays, to uphold our unity and integrity.

If you throw stones at us, we will build empires of unity among us with them.

Upholding and preserving the Malay rights and culture are my utmost goal and struggle.

Here is a quote from Sir Winston Churchill to all of you who feel that you can shatter our unity and the harmony of Malaysia:

WE SHALL DEFEND OUR ISLAND, WHATEVER THE COST MAY BE, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE LANDING GROUNDS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS AND IN THE STREETS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS, WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER.