UMNO has stubborn staying power

Atimes | The opposition coalition's unprecedented electoral gains in Malaysia’s general elections in March, and its leader Anwar Ibrahim’s vow to bring down the government through parliamentary defections have led many to believe that the days of the ruling United Malays National Organization’s (UMNO) oppressive, race-based brand of politics are numbered.

Yet since its stinging electoral setback, where the party lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority but still won the most votes, UMNO has brazenly clung to its old political ways, banning activist groups, jailing dissenters, stoking ethno-nationalism, and failing to tackle corruption within its ranks. ... more.