When the Unity government was formed, I had to change my attitude towards UMNO, the enemy, into UMNO the savior. When Zahid was relentlessly attacked by academics like Wong Chin Huat and other civil society personalities, I stood and vouched for the decision to have UMNO in the Unity Government. Now, I no longer think that UMNO will help us rebuild Malaysia. Now, I no longer think that UMNO has the decent values of Malaysia exemplified by the fine leadership of PKR, DAP, GPS, GRS and Amanah. UMNO is fit only for the bakul sampah when it declared unwavering support for that extremist politician that has no heart for Malaysia and no soul of inclusiveness, Akmal Salleh.

Akmal Salleh is bullying KK Mart and making it his call for victory and his entrance into popular politics of extremism of race and religion. Akmal pretends that he is doing this for Islam and for Malays but in truth he is only looking towards his own credibility as a leader of a weak party. Akmal Salleh is now the worst politician that we have seen in our entire lives. Akmal Salleh makes Sanusi and Hadi look like wimps and daisies. This man is dangerous for Malaysia, and I have now absolutely no faith in the party that has given him carte blanche to reinforce his boycott of a local business.

Dear Malaysians, we cannot allow Akmal and UMNO to bully us into submission. If we allow and cower to this monstrous act of putting thousands of innocent workers, our daughters and sons, out of work, then we have no dignity to call ourselves a nation or a country. I would be extremely ashamed to be called a Malaysian, a Malay and a Muslim if I do not stand up against this horrendous act of cowardice and selfishness of UMNO.

I ask all Malaysians to reflect that if we allow such atrocities within our lifetime, then our children will never forgive us of how we let the fascism of Akmal and UMNO into our children’s lives. Yes, my brethren Malaysians, FASCISM. Let that word ring loud and clear… UMNO is a FASCIST party.

There is absolutely nothing Islamic in UMNO’s support for Akmal to ‘bury’ KK Mart for its first and only act of negligence. We also do not know if it was even an act of sabotage. In the Islam that I know, we would forgive and move forward because KK Mart had apologized and made their case. The authorities may want to prosecute, and we Malaysians understand this act. We allow this process of justice to be meted out by the authorities in the form of a fine or even a revocation of their license. What we do not condone is letting fascists like Akmal rule over our lives and dictate who we should hate today and who we should ‘bury’ next.

No, my brethren Malaysians, UMNO has crossed the Rubicon and I ask Anwar Ibrahim, in his wisdom to advice that party to be Malaysians again or graciously ask UMNO to leave the Unity Government. The coalition still stands with GPS, Amanah, DAP and GRS. Let UMNO join PN and let it die being devoured by Bersatu and PAS. Both PAS and Bersatu covet the UMNO seats, and it would be easy to kill off UMNO by leaving them with mixed seats in which UMNO will be clobbered by unforgiving Malaysians of all race and religion.

If the leaving of UMNO costs an Election, then so be it. Let us have the dignity to build our Malaysia together as one people who respect each other’s faith, culture and heritage. We Malaysians will promise to forgive each other in our unintended transgressions of daily affairs and terkasar bahasa sedikit sini dan sedikit sana.

So long UMNO, we no longer trust you.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)