MGG Pillai Commentary View

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The BN unity is fractured with local difficulties

THE NATIONAL FRONT (BN) IS in fighting form. Make no mistake, warned its leader, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The Opposition cannot dent it. It is unstoppable. But the hope and hype is not the reality. At the BN supreme council last week, it was business as usual: no firm decisions, the leaders in no doubt that they are ready for the polls, and how they have looked after the public interest. It was to discuss the General Election expected by April. But it did not. It took a few early steps for an election, like appointing overseers for each parliamentary constituency, but shelved the vexing seat allocation and other divisive issues. The voter is assured of the BN's unity of purpose.

But as the New Sunday Times (18 January) reports the BN leaders now sing a different tune. The UMNO acting president, Pak Lah, steps in to tell UMNO divisions to stop bickering over the new division leaders and get ready for elections. He had to step in because the UMNO vice presidents could not contain the incipient revolt and now threatens its election chances in Kelantan and in Penang. Pak Lah insists they were appointed in the best interests of UMNO and approved by the leaders. In other words, the UMNO infighting over the appointed division leaders is far from over. He says all must join hands to ensure a solid BN victory, and should not be distracted by interal squabbles. But UMNO members are wary of yet another contentious problem pushed under the carpet, and unresolved over time.

The deputy prime minister, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, then accuses UMNO traitors for losing control of Trengganu in the 199 General Election. He wants total loyalty to UMNO from its members. "PAS's victory in Trengganu and in other places was because members had betrayed UMNO and supported for PAS and KeADILan even though they were members," he said, "They votes for opposition parties." He added: "There are those who are two-faced. They came decked in UMNO colours but vote for PAS." He does not explain why UMNO members deserted UMNO in the polls. The BN had a chance if its state leader was not its mentri besar. He was disliked so thoroughly that the security and intelligence services had warned the then Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir Mohamed. But he defied the people of Trengganu and kept him on. Trengganu was lost on nomination day.

What intrigued me though is his claim, as the NST reports, that UMNO had only 17,500 members in 1999 but 25,000 now. He is happy with it. It is pointless to have more if they are disloyal. But if you accept his figure, UMNO is in more trouble than he admits. This means UMNO has only about 500 members in a constituency, not enough to run an election campaign. His claim of treachy also cannot stand scrutiny. If 40 years in office in a state can only attract 25,000 members in a party which prides itself in total coverage of the Malay community, UMNO is in more danger than I had thought. And if four years in Opposition could only attract 7,500 members, the UMNO organisation in the state must be weak indeed. Actuall it is. He does not mention it - how could he? - but the single most damaging issue, which UMNO and the UMNO-led BN government cannot reconcile, is why the Petronas royalties for the state is hijacked by Kuala Lumpur on spurious grounds. That anger spreads across party lines, with UMNO and PAS members equally angry about it.

From UMNO to the MCA-Gerakan merger. The Gerakan president, Dato' Seri Lim Kheng Yaik, is afraid that the merger would be aborted if it is discussed as it should in public. The merger talks "is no honeymoon" but a "long, long" journey. He accuses the press forf putting "stones and boulders" in its path. He blames the press for asking "inquisitive" questions about it. How could they? Don't they know that is a matter of utmost national importance that must be discussed in total secrecy? What are the contentious issues? Dr Lim mentions a few: the status of non-Chinese members in Gerakan, since he is the more senior whether he or Dato' Seri Ong should be the first president of the new party, and its name.

So the proposed merger turns out to be a damp squib. The more one delves into it, the more one is convinced that the merger proposal is to divert attention from the problems in the two parties. I find it remarkable that a merger between MCA and Gerakan is floated on such petty issues. No strategic reasons, only a lame excuse to unite the Chinese behind the proposal so the Chinese would deliver the vote to BN in the coming poll. For the raison d'etre of this exercise is to stave off defeat. The Gerakan realises that in Penang, the Pak Lah move to control it by removing the UMNO leader in Permatang Pauh, where once the jailed UMNO deputy president and deputy prime minister, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, reigned supreme, has angered UMNO in the state. This merger is mooted, with no intention it would be carried out, for no reason than to unite the Chinese and, in Penang, to prevent the back-biting which allowed the Opposition to make headway.

The BN secretary-general, Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat, has quit, after 35 years in Parliament. His place is taken by the UMNO secretary-general, Tan Sri Khalil Yaakob. He has his hands full, is to retire soon. He was to have been the Governor of Malacca but that did not work out. But Pak Lah should have appointed some one younger and energetic. More important, he should have ensured the BN secretary-general to be a non-UMNO member. The Alliance secretary-general was always from the MCA. But that was not followed when the BN was established in 1973. If he could not appoint a Chinese, he could at least have appointed someone who could make BN at least active. There is another facet to Tan Sri Mohamed's retirement: It is a subtle hint to the MIC and Gerakan presidents, and others too long in the tooth in office to take the hint. Would they?

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@streamyx.com