It was heartening to hear Najib turn his back on the shrill, ethnocentric rhetoric that has been emanating from his fellow party-members since March 2008.

There were many parts of course that pandered to the listening crowd but one cannot ignore the fact that time and time again the speech veered back to the need for UMNO to reach outside the race box.

Whatever it is, the reality is that race based political parties are allowed to thrive. Encouraged even.This despite the bold proclamation of wanting a 1Malaysia.

With his haughty character, it was impossible for MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to go back on his words of leaving. The change of his attitude during the period between the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and the Central Committee (CC) meeting was the key that made him decide to stay and “perish together” with the CC.

“Why do people hate you?” asked 9-year-old boy Terence Scott, of President of the United States Barack Obama.

Mama mia, what a classical question! Even famous news anchors like Barbara Walters would not ask the President such a straightforward question.

UMNO today holds what is called a special general assembly to amend it’s constitution, an exercise proclaimed as making good promises made by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to "reform UMNO."

In trying to "dialogue" with Muslims whom they suddenly regard as the strangers within, they are now on the lookout for 'representatives' and 'spokesmen' for "true Islam."

In yesterday's UMNO Youth general assembly, Khairy Jamaluddin did not hold up the keris, but instead honoured what he once said.

While MCA is busy with its party crisis and MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is wondering whether to stay or leave, UMNO cannot stop and wait for them. UMNO has launched a reform program. Could such a program help them to win the next general elections?

On this day, UMNO will hold a special assembly sitting to debate on the proposed amendments to the party's constitution involving eight motions. Among the most important motions are, to abolish the quota system and to increase the voting base to elect leaders to the division level whereby 146,500 members will be eligible to vote as compared to only 2,510 people now, in order to eliminate money politics within the party.