Umno, PPBM and DAP

Mak Khuin Weng

Umno working with DAP is being treated as a possibility despite the negative reaction from the grassroots of both parties.

Let’s say that it will happen. We will then be thrown into another year or two of directionless politics as Umno and DAP battle for dominance over the coalition just like how PPBM and DAP battled each other while they were together under Pakatan.

DAP is a Chinese supremacist party, just like Umno is a Malay supremacist party. And while DAP will use PKR as a front, they cannot hide their true nature for long because they have people like Superman Hew and Ronnie Liu.

“DAP adalah parti pelbagai kaum. Parti ini tidak perlu mencairkan kecinaannya hanya kerana kritikan daripada musuh politik kita. Kita harus memelihara budaya parti, serta semangat perlembagaan parti, perjuangan politik pluralistik dan demokratik.” – Ronnie Liu.

Ronnie Liu’s statement is no different from how Umno has preached the same subject, with the only difference of which race should be at the forefront.

The dynamics of what makes the relationship between Umno and MCA work is not there. The subservience is not there.

One of the reasons why I tell you the stories and philosophy of our politicians is to show you that relationship dynamic, even though telling these stories get me a lot of hate.

Umno x DAP will have the same outcome as PPBM x DAP. A betrayal will occur when one side tak tahan and we go through another round of political uncertainty and instability.

This will not be an issue if either Umno or DAP is the clear leader.

So, despite Umno and PPBM not seeing eye to eye in a lot of things right now, why do I still have the opinion that they are both better together than apart? Won’t the same dynamics play out too?

Well, yes. But where the hate would be tainted with race if it were a relationship with DAP, Umno and PPBM cannot resort to that sort of politics with each other.

Umno and PPBM have the same DNA. Both want to be the boss because that is their upbringing. They understand each other and that is why they hate each other.

But where there was no third party within Barisan Nasional to negotiate a truce and peace when Umno fought Umno (that led to the splinter groups of PKR and PPBM), we now have PAS as the outside Malay faction to help keep the peace.

Anwar Ibrahim is not in the equation of playing this role over at Pakatan if Umno and DAP were to get together. He is an opportunist, not a leader.

If Anwar was a leader, he would have assumed PKR leadership when he got out of prison the first time round, Azmin Ali would have remained loyal and made a proper successor to PKR and Pakatan.

So, it isn’t about whether I like PPBM or Umno better, it is about the pragmatism of setting the house in order to get the government moving forward again.

DAP will always have a role to play, but I prefer them to be shouting from the opposition bench where they can shout all about idealism without being in the position to give excuses why they cannot do what they preach as the government.

For the good of the nation as a whole, Umno and PPBM must suffer each other and work through their hatred just like how Umno managed to work through their hate for PAS.

Peace.