For more than a year, most of Umno and Barisan Nasional grassroots leaders and members have been keeping quiet while the attacks against Prime Minister Najib Razak continued.

At first, such attacks were treated as an internal Umno (party) leadership conflict. So many thought it best that no one should aggravate the situation further by getting involved. After all, this had happened before more than once, and in the end it always sorted itself out and life went on.

However, this is no longer just about an internal disagreement within Umno. For those who stood on the side lines hoping that this issue would sooner or later be resolved, it has now reached the point of no return.

On Friday, March 4, 2016, the attacks took on a new form by collaboration with the Opposition in their attempt to force the resignation of the prime minister. To Umno members, such action was seen as more than just a breach of party ethics; it was akin to a challenge on Umno’s independence and the party’s constitution.

More than that, the willingness of these former members and leaders to collaborate, cooperate and conspire with the Opposition was seen to be an action not only against the party president and prime minister, but as a challenge to the party itself. This was beyond allowable boundaries and sadly tainted the leaders’ past contributions and positions in Umno.

A year ago, in the beginning, the Anti-Najib Campaign (ANC) was pushing for the prime minister’s resignation. The same movers have now renamed it the Save Malaysia Movement. However, the Save Malaysia Movement could not agree on a multitude of things other than just one objective — they want the ouster of Najib.

They are even planning to hold a “forum” on March 27 to force the issue further. It only goes to show that the objective of the Save Malaysia Movement or Anti-Najib Campaign is not to save the country or its people; but merely a personal agenda among its movers and supporters to oust the prime minister.

It also casts the movers as people who believe that the end justifies the means; as shown in the willingness among former nemeses to share the same bed.

The handful of Umno and ex- Umno members who joined the Opposition to sign the so-called Citizens’ Declaration are from a very small minority. Their motives may be dissimilar but their objective is singular – to topple a legitimately and democratically appointed leader by usurping public sentiment to justify their respective motives.

This is not only a challenge to Umno or BN; it is a challenge to the Federal Constitution and the parliamentary democracy that we have practised since 1955. There are various ways allowable under law to legitimately challenge and remove the prime minister, least of all a no-confidence motion and vote in Parliament.

That such a move has failed time and again only goes to show that despite claims to the contrary, the prime minister still commands the majority in the House; and therefore should be allowed to head the government and country; free from encumbrances or any interference from within or outside.

As a grassroots Umno member and leader, our concern is for the survival, legitimacy, future and relevancy of the party and for the coalition,Barisan Nasional.

We will soon be facing the Sarawak state election, which is going to have a bearing on the outcome of the general election two years from now in 2018.

What happens in Sarawak this year will also entail what happens in Sabah in 2018. Umno and BN will not be able to form the next Federal Government without Sabah and Sarawak.

Most Umno and BN leaders and members belong to the larger silent majority. They have kept silent in the hope that common sense would prevail. However, this is no longer the case. They do not share the sentiments of that small minority who falsely claim to be speaking on behalf of all.

The question therefore is: should a ship going through a storm or rough seas throw the captain overboard; or should all crew members instead work together to keep the ship afloat and brave the torrents? A ship without a captain in a storm or rough seas is bound to sink with all on board.

We are responsible not just to ourselves and Umno and BN, but also to the fate of this nation and its future. Making our stand now is critical, as it will define whether Umno and BN deserve to continue helming the nation in the years to come.

“Kalau marah tok penghulu sekalipun janganlah sampai kampung dibakar.” This means that just because you are angry with the chieftain, you should not burn the whole village.

Zulhasnan Rafique is former Federal Territories Minister and former Setiawangsa MP.

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