New group ABU gangs up against Umno
Activists, NGOs, civil society groups and political parties have banded together to oust Umno from the country's administration come the next general election.
Activists, NGOs, civil society groups and political parties have banded together to oust Umno from the country's administration come the next general election.
"We are calling for all segments of society, NGOs, political parties including BN components and the marginalised to establish clearly, through media statement or demonstrations, our loss of confidence in Umno.
"Umno has lost its purpose, is corrupt, conceited, oppressive, ruthless and more recently, ignorant and corrupt," said Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chairperson Badrul Hisham Shaharin (
left in picture
) on behalf of the movement at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
Dubbed 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' (Anything But Umno) or ABU for short, the movement says that though it has the support of political parties, it will remain a people's movement.
ABU will be motivated only to restore the rights of the people and the nation's riches, which it claimed the Malay party has ravaged with near impunity.
Mass gathering in Gombak on Dec 15
The movement was launched at simultaneous press conferences all across Peninsular Malaysia today, while Sabah and Sarawak will see similar launches at press conferences next week.
"ABU plans to campaign nationwide to encourage the rakyat to voice out their dissatisfaction and disgust with Umno," Badrul Hisham said.
It will also be holding a mass gathering at the PAS compound in Taman Melewar, Gombak, on Dec 15, at which he said a "big announcement" would be made, which would see a momentous development in working towards an Umno-less Malaysia.
"Umno claims that it championed Merdeka, but we are going to show how and what the party has done, until Malaysia is nearly bankrupt now," said Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president Haris Ibrahim, who is also among the founders of ABU.
Also present were reprentatives from NGOs, civil society, student groups and political parties Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and Parti Raykat Malaysia (PRM).
All parties expressed their support for the movement.
