Madani partners want a strong Umno

There is at least one thing worse than fighting with allies – and that is to fight without them.

– Sir Winston Churchill, British wartime PM

Let me begin by saying that I earnestly feel that I have to tell Umno people the honest truth.

“Your party is the weakest link in the unity government. Time to buck up or be prepared for another disastrous outing in the next general election”.

This past week, I have taken note of the statements from two Umno leaders of different generations which have clearly illustrated the instability and vulnerability of this very important partner of the Madani government.

Firstly, we heard Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz ticking off those he referred to as politicians who are bankrupt of ideas in Umno.

Zafrul, an Umno supreme council member, said that the party needs leaders with fresh ideas to make the party appealing again to the masses.

He said the party’s leaders need to stop exchanging friendly fire over trivial issues, which he said showed a deprivation of ideas within the party.

I’m happy that Zafrul, who is considered a second-echelon Umno leader, is prepared to come down hard on his party colleagues if he felt that they had erred in their ways.

Having said that, I think that Zafrul would have been more credible had he been prepared to name names of leaders whom he said were bankrupt of ideas and no longer needed by the party.

Although a newbie in the party, it is clear that 51-year-old Zafrul is destined for a more prominent role in politics. Although he failed to win a parliamentary seat in GE15 in 2022, he was appointed a senator and joined Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet as Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry.

After Zafrul’s stern warning to his Umno colleagues, party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was caught in an uncomfortable spat with the DAP.

It started when Razaleigh, also known as Ku Li, told a news portal that there was no need for DAP to campaign for the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan on Aug 17.

He was also reported to have said that DAP would be wasting its time by going to Nenggiri and that the Malays in the constituency “want to hear from the Malays about the Malays there”.

Understandably, Ku LI’s remarks did not go down well with the DAP. Soon, a grassroots leader of the party who did not wish to be named said their members, who comprised various races, were slighted by Ku Li’s claim that they were not fluent in Malay.

“We felt insulted. DAP doesn’t just have Chinese members. Many in Kelantan are Malay. And our machinery is made up mostly of Malay members,” the leader said.

What I find rather disappointing is the Umno veteran’s unfriendly remarks against a coalition partner being brought into the public sphere.

Of all people, the 87-year-old Umno stalwart should know better. Why talk down on a political ally in an interview with the media, knowing full well that the matter could have been discussed and resolved behind closed doors.

Happily, the Ku Li-DAP public spat also saw some positive vibes when a senior Umno leader told party members not to fear DAP, saying that it was not the “bad guy” it has always been perceived to be.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said DAP has also shared its hope to see Umno become stronger, so it can lean on the party’s support.

The Umno supreme council member claimed that DAP organising secretary Steven Sim, who is the human resources minister, recently expressed this.

“He (Sim) said before that Umno must be strong. They need Umno because DAP can only win between 40 and 43 seats (in Parliament), not more than that.

“If Umno is not strong, then DAP cannot rely on us. He also permitted me to use all the time I need to work towards strengthening Umno,” he was quoted as saying by Berita Harian.

It only makes sense that coalition partners in government want to see each other strong and stable.

A coalition relies on the combined strength and cooperation of its members to ensure a stable and effective government. Strong partners can better manage their constituencies, maintain order and contribute to a cohesive government.

In a coalition, having strong partners ensures a more balanced distribution of power and influence. This balance helps in making decisions that reflect the interests of all parties involved, rather than being dominated by one.

It is clear that the unity government is a fragile one. Most of the coalition partners have declared that they are supporting Anwar Ibrahim only for the duration of the full five-year term.

For that to happen, and with more than three years to go, it is vital that all the Madani partners stay united and be supportive of each other. Failing which, the Anwar Administration could well face the same fate as the Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob governments.

Umno, as the weakest link in the Madani government, has better sit up and take serious note.

The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.