Advice to Bersatu: ‘Be’ like Umno

Zakiah Koya, The Heat Malaysia

In trying to explain why Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is a racial based party, its leaders are getting entangled into a knot, which may just be its undoing.

People like former DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and pro-tem committee member Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman – the debator (one wonders if he has another occupation) – have been busy speaking to portals, at forums and coming out with statements giving reason after reason on why it is bumpiputra-based.

“It’s not purely race-based. Associate status plus appointment into top party positions. We’ll also be with other opposition parties. It’s a compromise model. A new-Pribumi (native) reform-centric party which will be contesting in impenetrable Umno areas,” Saddiq said on Twitter. He also asked whether he will be let into MIC or MCA in his arguments – which does not make an iota of sense.

Muhyiddin also talked about other races being allowed as ‘associate members’.

One wonders if these people realise that they are wasting their time in trying to preach to the converted – and that the ones they are trying to convince are not the ones they are aiming for. Those on social media or reading the news portals are not going to join Bersatu – they are not Umno people. Those who have joined the opposition will not join Bersatu – they are already in a party.

Merdeka Center programme director Ibrahim Suffian said it right when he said that Bersatu did not shoot itself in its foot when it decided that it was going to be a Bumiputra-based party – for its main aim is to take on Umno, which is bumi-based too.

One cannot bait a fish from one worm with another type of insect. One has to use another worm – as much alike as possible and confuse the fishes. And after the fish has bitten that worm, then one can do what they want with the fish – fry, grill or tame it.

Syed Saddiq is new in politics and young, and one can say rash, and he can be put aside and ignored. But for Muhyiddin to explain, one wonders if he is just getting drawn by the lights of the portal screens.

He has to step away from the glare and go down to the kampungs and get to those voters there who support Umno, if it is Umno he wants to take over.

They should be concentrating on finding ways on how to get the message across to the lower income groups and the rural areas, whose votes are bought by BR1M. One cannot blame them for BR1M is a lot of money for them and they must never be told not to take it, for they deserve it in a time when the cost of living is at one of its highest.

Bersatu must learn the tactics of Umno, if it is to take on Umno.

Amanah learnt it the hard way – when they thought the PAS people would follow them in droves, only for the Amanah leaders to step outside and realise they were on their own.

Bersatu must not use the tactics of other opposition parties, for Umno people would not fall for the opposition tactics. They are not enticed by the opposition and they never will. They will vote for the opposition, not to support the opposition but to teach Umno and when Umno behaves, they will return to Umno, unless they see something that is like Umno, looks like Umno and talks like Umno.

Beliefs of generations cannot be undone in a few months – not in Malaysia where voters have yet to learn that the power lies in the hands of the voters, and not the politicians.

One can tell this by simply looking at those ex-Umno who joined PKR – most are still very Umno in their ways – in their style of attacks and expectations of rewards.

It is just Bersatu’s bad luck that main founder Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is down with a chest infection at this crucial time, but Muhyiddin should think like an Umno leader if he is to make a winning move.

As for the opposition leaders and members who are not happy with Bersatu being race-based, they only have to look at themselves in the mirror – for the opposition has yet to veer away from being race-based.

If PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli, Pandan MP, thinks it is an ‘anomaly to have a bumi-based party int he opposition’, he probably does not know the parties in the opposition. All the opposition parties have one race as their overwhelming majority – PKR -Malay, DAP-Chinese, Amanah-Malay and PAS-Malay.

So, where is the ‘anomaly’ – for most of the opposition parties are bumi-based anyway, it is just that they do not proclaim it so.

As for Umno, some are feeling threatened that there is something that looks very much like Umno that some are actually calling on the Registrar of Societies not to register it.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin even came out publicly to say Bersatu must not be taken lightly.

Will Bersatu actually do what they say they will be doing – take on Umno – or will they continue to be defensive and die just like that?