Veep race blowing in the wind
The incumbents in the race for the Umno vice-presidency will have to brace themselves for what appears to be a mood to shake things up among the party’s second echelon.
Joceline Tan, The Star
TAN Sri Mohd Isa Samad has been a household name in Umno, especially after he was made Felda chairman. But the pint-sized former Mentri Besar of Negri Sembilan is said to be struggling in the Umno vice-presidents (VP) race.
He is not alone because former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam is also not having an easy time.
Both are extremely well-liked in Umno. They are the classic people’s politicians who have never for a moment forgotten that their position and status come from the Umno grassroots.
They may arrive for functions and events in chauffer-driven cars but once they start mingling they are just like the average Joe – everyone is treated like an old friend.
Little things like this matter a lot to Umno members and that is why one hears people saying kind things about Isa and Ali.
But the trouble is that the VPs are also known as the “second echelon” and Isa, at 63, and Ali, who is 64, are seen as having passed that stage.
However, Isa does not give up easily and he has said that he wants to use his experience to help the party win even better in the next general election.
He has told his audience that the VP line-up should be like the Umno slogan of dulu, kini dan selama-lamanya, with a mix of experience, the current and the future. He said he is not going for the post to become a minister and wants to be the VP voice of the Umno grassroots.
Ali’s campaign is said to be drawing on his vast network of Belia 4B and World Assembly of Youth NGOs. He has been seen at lots of weddings and funerals and his successor in Malacca Datuk Idris Haron has organised a number of events to help him get into the news.
Ali has made it clear that he will be the voice defending Malay interests, Islam and the nation.
The pair’s biggest hurdle is not age but the fact that the three incumbents Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal are seen as the “chosen ones” – they have the endorsement of the top leadership.
There is widespread talk that the top Umno leadership wants a status quo at the VP level and the three incumbents have put up a good show of comradeship by campaigning together on a number of occasions and speaking up for each other.
Everyone knows what it means to be endorsed by the top two and even Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, the man that everyone in the party is talking about, is said to be quite worried.
Apart from using the official state Umno machinery, he has been relying on his Ansara old boys network to move around to speak at forums and dialogues.
The most positive buzz regarding Mukhriz’s campaign is that he is running a clean campaign. Or as the Wanita Umno chief of one division put it, “he did not throw money”.
However, some think that could also cost him some votes because there will always be people who complain about what they call salam kosong or empty-handed greetings.
The incumbents have been able to leverage on their positions as ministers to move around.
On Wednesday night, Hishammuddin who is Defence Minister was in Seremban for a dinner gathering that was supposed to be a “briefing on national security”. But those at the gathering thought he spent most of the evening appealing to them not to rock the boat in the Umno election.
He told them that the present VP line-up has worked well and they should not be tempted to change things. He reminded his audience that he had chaired the committee that came up with the new election system that had enabled more people to choose the Umno leaders.
Hishammuddin is said to be struggling among the three incumbents. However, most of the state Umno liaison chairmen seem to be rooting for him and he will probably get the endorsement of all 26 divisions in Johor.
But there seems to be a wind of change blowing through the VP race and it looks like the top leaders’ wish for a status quo VP line-up may be lost in the wind. Many, including those who support a status quo, think that the Umno president should not only be fair, but be seen to be fair by not getting involved.
Meanwhile, Isa will be pleased to know that he will get the vote from Seremban Umno which is headed by the tough-talking Datuk Ishak Ismail. This is a major development because Isa and Ishak have been at each other’s throats for decades.
But time heals and Ishak is ready to let bygones be bygones. The Lenggeng assemblyman apparently appreciates what Isa has done for Felda and praised Isa for staying loyal to Umno after he was sacked as a minister.
In fact, he reckons Isa will get the support of at least five of the eight divisions in Negeri Sembilan.
Ishak is known as a stern opponent of vote-buying and he has some quaint advice for candidates who do not wish to dabble in money politics.
“They should campaign in a sarung because when you wear a sarung, people know there are no pockets to keep money,” he said.
He also carries a handphone that costs only RM80. Anyone looking at the basic handphone would know that he is not flushed with cash.
If only there were more people like Ishak during election time in Umno.
