A mixed bag

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak seems delighted with the new team that has emerged in Umno but whether they will be an asset or give him more headaches remains to be seen.

The right wing segment of Umno thinks he has been too soft and given too much to the non-Malays and yet not get their support in the general election. They feel that Umno must take stands and push for policies that reflect the ethnic reality on the ground where bumiputras make up 67.9% of the population and Muslims comprise 59% of the population.

Joceline Tan, The Star

WANITA Umno leader Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil was in great demand last week. No less than the incumbent Umno vice-presidents (VP) had sought her out as the bridge to reach out to the Wanita Umno delegates.

It was not as though the VPs did not have access to the Wanita wing as they rushed to wrap up their election campaign. What they wanted was basically Shahrizat’s endorsement. They knew that if she endorsed them, it was as good as having the endorsement of the senior ladies.

Shahrizat’s command over the Wanita wing is beyond dispute after she won a second term as Wanita Umno leader in spectacular fashion. She holds the women in the palm of her hand.

Shortly after she knew that she had crossed the finishing line, she arrived at the PWTC accompanied by her entire family – husband, daughter, two sons and daughter-in-law. It was evident that she also regarded the results as some sort of vindication of the way she and her family were vilified over the National Feedlot Corporation.

The results showed that the ladies see her as a victim of perception in the entire affair and that they still have faith in her leadership even if others in the party are concerned about how people outside Umno will judge her re-election.

Many in Umno have seriously under-estimated her political clout. Beneath that soft, refined and womanly exterior lies nerves of steel.

She accepted the victory without losing her composure while several among her loyal team of women grew emotional and could be seen dabbing at their eyes the whole evening.

It was likely that their tears were not just for her win but also for what she has gone through the last two years. They knew that she went through hell and back.

“We are not surprised over the support for Kak Ijat. She is one leader who really goes to the ground and she takes us with her,” said Pahang Wanita chief Datuk Rosni Zahari.

Shahrizat’s win may not burnish Umno’s image among those outside the party, but it should give Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak the peace of mind that the wing is intact, united and loyal.

Following his equally impressive re-election as Umno Youth leader, Khairy Jamaluddin is now being touted as the “future of Umno” by his supporters and even some of his critics.

Khairy entered politics amid much controversy. But his stint in the wilderness after winning the Youth post the first time around has turned out to be one of those blessings in disguise.

That challenging period of his career has been held up as a testimony that he is a fighter, someone who can thrive in adversity and does not give up easily. He has earned his stripes and the respect of many in the party.

“He passed the test, he’ll be an asset to Umno. He is someone who can stand up to the opposition,” said Juhaidi Yean Abdullah, a former aide to an Umno minister.

Khairy, said Juhaidi, is the man to watch over the next five years.

“He has traction with the age group that Umno wants to attract. He is smart and argues well, never mind that he is not photogenic,” said a former Putrajaya official.

When the Youth chief described his win as an endorsement of his “progressive leadership”, he was addressing the audience that went beyond the boundaries of Umno. He was basically telling those outside Umno that the party’s future will encompass progressive politics and that he hopes they will come along with him.

“As a friend, I am proud of Khairy’s progressive politics. It will make Umno more relevant to the Malaysian electorate. We need leaders who are willing to stand up for that,” said former Umno Youth official Datuk Zaki Zahid.

This will be Khairy’s challenge in the years ahead. He will have to find an equilibrium between like-minded members who want the party to move towards the centre and the more conservative and right-wing members who want the old Umno.

There is a great deal resting on the shoulders of the new Puteri Umno leader Mas Ermieyati. The Puteri leadership after Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s exit has not lived up to expectations.

It has lost its oomph and some of the men at the division level feel that these young members are not pulling their weight. One Umno division chief has often complained that during Umno events, the Puteri girls are more interested in using their handphones to snap pictures of themselves with Umno leaders.

Ermieyati has to galvanise the wing and create new programmes that can give the wing a higher profile rather than just eye a deputy minister post. She has to look deep into these issues and make the wing more meaningful to young Malay women, especially those in urban areas.

This Umno election is taking place against a vastly different political landscape from that which Umno is used to. It is no longer the king of the hill that it used to be. Umno as a party is still holding up well against its arch-rival PAS but it has been let down by its component parties which have crumbled against the advance of DAP and PKR.

Umno is often portrayed by its detractors as a party of extremists but it comprises members ranging from the ultra-conservative to those with more open views on social and political issues.

“Umno is not a communist party or a party of zombies where everyone thinks and says the same thing. Our members have ideas and aspirations. We can agree and disagree about where the party is going and that is what we see now.

“The important thing is to come to consensus at the end of the day and to not lose sight of the core values of the Malay struggle,” said former Penang Umno strongman Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad.

A clearer picture of the new team that Najib is leading will be available by today when the full results of the vice-presidents (VP) and supreme council are verified.

The popular view was that the last team was a transition team that comprised those from the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi era as well as the Najib men. But the vastly expanded voter base that brought in the new team also means that they are quite a mixed bag of people.

The question being asked is whether they can gel with what the president wants to do.

“The president is a very amiable person who can work with almost anyone. His relationship with the two former prime ministers is proof of how he handles extraordinary situa­tions and people.

“He does not hold grudges, he does not show his temper nor is he a reactive person. His one big fault is that he is often too nice, even to those who cross him,” said a political insider.

Najib, said the insider, has a vast network of political friends who go back to his days as the leader of Umno Youth. They are very loyal to him and he relies on them but generally, he is ready to accept who the grassroots have chosen.

But Najib is also facing this tug-of-war going on in the party between those who want the old Umno and those who want to move forward. His problem is a bigger version of that confronting his Youth chief.

The right wing segment of Umno thinks he has been too soft and given too much to the non-Malays and yet not get their support in the general election.

They feel that Umno must take stands and push for policies that reflect the ethnic reality on the ground where bumiputras make up 67.9% of the population and Muslims comprise 59% of the population.

The more hard-headed among them feel betrayed and think that Umno must now take care of the Malay ground because it is the Malays who are keeping the Barisan Nasional in power. The more level-headed members feel hurt by the non-Malay rejection but they also understand that Najib must continue to engage the middle ground.

All this is taking place against a backdrop of great concern among party members over the way issues concerning the Malays such as Islam and the Malay Royalty are being openly questioned.

Najib has to navigate a fine line to appease the right-wingers while trying to bring the party towards the centre where the bulk of the votes lie in the next general election. It remains to be seen whether his new team will be able to assist him or be a hindrance to him.

But for now, said Dr Ibrahim, Najib can give himself a pat on the back for putting in place a bold new system of election in his party that has been implemented with remarkably few road bumps.

And for many of those who won, their immediate concern will probably be whether the Prime Minister will include them in the Cabinet reshuffle that is widely expected in the months ahead.