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KUALA LUMPUR – The Umno general assembly today is the best platform for president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to put on record why the party opted to work with DAP in the unity government and to hammer in the point that PAS is its true enemy, analysts said.
The issue needs to be explained clearly to Umno grassroots members, who were left confused over the party’s 180-degree turn from its previous decision to reject DAP as well as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and who had wanted Umno to form the government with Perikatan Nasional (PN) instead after the 15th general election (GE15).
Political analyst Jamaie Hamil said Umno is stronger without PAS, a component of PN.
“Umno and PAS once joined forces under Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1969, but it did not last long and PAS left… that was when Umno began to rise.
“Malaysians, especially the non-Malays, also see Umno as a more moderate party and not as extremist as PAS, which they feel Umno should stay away from,” the political science lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia told Getaran, The Vibes’ sister news portal.
Jamaie added that despite some internal unhappiness against Zahid, Umno is in a better position in Anwar’s unity government.
Zahid is a deputy prime minister, while his number two in Umno, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, is defence minister. Four other Umno MPs are also ministers.
After GE15, which resulted in a hung Parliament, Umno was split between forming a government with PN or with Anwar and PH.
Zahid, by then, was blamed for pushing for early polls, only to see Umno suffer a humiliating defeat.
He was also accused of reneging on Umno’s decision to never collaborate with Anwar, PH and especially DAP – a decision endorsed by the Umno general assembly last year.
Yet, Jamaie said there was nothing strange about Umno working with DAP, as each had its own constituency base.
With pragmatism winning the day, Jamaie added that it was logical for Zahid to have gotten rid of Umno leaders who had been in their positions for too long, and to instead name younger election candidates, even if they lost in the general election.
“I believe that Zahid did a cleansing act by removing the old leaders to give new faces a chance to compete.
“Umno must self-reflect on this… that change has to be implemented, and (they need to) stop blaming the president entirely,” Jamaie said.
Universiti Utara Malaysia political analyst Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said Zahid would also do well to explain the reasons for Umno’s participation in the unity government.
Both he and Jamaie also agree that Zahid must clearly explain the party’s reversal from its previous “No Anwar, No DAP” mantra.
“It is necessary to explain (the issue) so that the alliance in the unity government is favourably received by the delegates and grassroots members of Umno,” Azizuddin said, adding that the general assembly should be used to strengthen and unite the party.
After being postponed in December, the general assembly began on Tuesday night, with the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings’ assemblies.
Umno deputy president Mohamad had set the tone for the leadership’s explanations about collaboration with Anwar, PH and DAP when officiating the wings’ assemblies, saying the decision to do so was to steer the country back to “centrist ideologies”.
He also said it was based on political reality, as Umno and PN were vying for the same voters, and this would not benefit the former in the long run.
Azizuddin acknowledged that Umno’s attacks on DAP did not increase its support from Malay voters, showing that this anti-DAP stance was not necessarily what voters wanted.
He added that working with PN would never be a successful endeavour because the rival coalition only wants to “bury” Umno.
Zahid will give the president’s policy speech today. The general assembly will then vote on amendments to the party constitution.
One amendment is to Clause 20.11, which is to automatically revoke the membership of those who leave the party, and those who contest as an independent or as a candidate for another party in an election.
This is to align the party constitution with anti-hopping laws.
The other amendment is to Clause 8.4, which is to automatically elect all information chiefs as delegates to the general assembly every year.
The general assembly, which is being held at the World Trade Centre, will end tomorrow. – The Vibes, January 13, 2023
