The United Malay National Organisation or Umno, the dominant political party in the country, turned 57 today.

The party has more than 2.4 million members currently; more than half are women. Umno's membership structure has also been fine-tuned to reflect the changing political and economic environment.

According to a veteran Umno leader, the party's 'accomodative' dominance over the years has made the party more acceptable to all races.

Bangsa Malaysia

In 1958, Umno admitted Indian Muslims from Penang as party members. In 1990 all bumiputras were allowed to join Sabah Umno.

"The national character of the party was further enhanced when the constitution was amended to admit as members besides Malays, indigenous people, bumiputras, and people of other origins such as Thais, Indonesians, Filipinos and Portuguese," he said.

Umno members are also found in the various Umno clubs overseas.

Some feel the quest of a Bangsa Malaysia has already begun as Umno is widely recognised through the Barisan Nasional to represent all Malaysian, he added..

A question that has to be tackled in the near future is whether the other ethnic races - the Chinese and the Indians - could be admitted as members too.

"Umno has to prepare itself for the changing role in the new millenium to become the core of a much bigger United National Party, which is no longer based o­n ethnic lines," the veteran member said.

As such, he added, if 'Umno' is to be retained, the 'M" should be stand for 'Malaysia' for the reasons explained above.

Money politics

On money politics, a political analyst opined that it has always been at the centre of the problems plaguing the party. In fact, the issue has been o­n the agenda of every party general assembly since the early 1980s.

"Money politics has resulted in the majority of party members making judgements according to changes in their economic well-being," he said.

"With the economic opportunities now available to the Malays, there also exist the chances to buy and use o­ne's influence for a political cause," he added.

In fact, he said, Umno leadership also faces a difficult task to control party election tensions and at the same time, satisfy members without fuelling a bigger conflict in Umno.

"The supreme council must enhance its supervisory role at party polls," he added.

A veteran Umno member recently remarked that, if previously members used to stay in hotels at RM4 a day, now members come to Umno meetings in flashy cars and put up in 5-star hotels.

"This is because the profile of members too have changed. Corporate leaders have taken centre-stage that hitherto had been the preserve of school teachers, farmers and village headmen," he had said.

Time and patience

Thus, the analyst felt that the biggest task of the supreme council is to educate party members, not o­nly to inform them of their legally guaranteed rights but also help them shed the money politics mentality.

"With time and patience from all in the party, Umno can be successful in this aspect and that would be o­ne of the biggest revolutions in the party's long history," he added.

With the changing of the guard come October, he said party members of competing factions should learn to understand the values of a party system where election of party leaders are based o­n merit, and not merely o­n politics.

"At this sensitive time, the last thing anyone wants is to see the return of the 1987 party election.

"In that elections, the pursuit of money sapped party ideology, corrupted members, delegates, candidates, leaders and weakened loyalty to the central leadership," he added.

Another political observer noted that although the pluses seemed to edge the minuses in the run-up to October, Umno was also ready to expect brick-bats from all quarters.

"The government has been accused of favouring o­nly certain Malays with connections to the party. Consequently, the lines between politics, government and business became blurred," he said.

Word of caution

Most recently, he said, there was a heated debate o­n the issue of whether the Malays have now been lulled by success into becoming over dependent o­n government handouts.

"Therefore, they have lost the courage to question or openly criticise government policies that are considered disadvantageous to the Malays," he added

He also cautioned that racial sentiments could rear its head again if the people are complacent and unwilling to meet these challenges.

"Because now there is plenty to go around for everybody, we look like we are okay with o­ne another. But all it takes is for another recession to come and things will not be so rosy. Then the tensions experienced in the past may crop up again," he warned.