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Rumbles and grumbles spoil the UMNO march to election-free leaders

IT IS A TRUTH foretold that UMNO politicians in need of advancement must crow in unison to demand someone close to its supreme leader be appointed to high office. Never mind that a few months ago, the mere suggestion that this great man had plans to polevault from nowhere to the highest office was, and is, deeply resented. Never mind that in five years of working he has made a mess of everything he touched. Never mind that UMNO youth itself reacted in hostility to this Oxbridge graduate's decision to stand for the very post he is now welcomed with open arms. But that is UMNO politics. It is now taken as read that the Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son-in-law, Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, 28, is the next UMNO deputy youth chief. His running mate is Dato' Hishamuddin Hussein, 43, the outgoing youth chief. He decided, after announcing plans to retire and to stand for the UMNO vice presidency, that discretion is the better part of valour, and he stays put.

Even now, the UMNO disease takes root. Leaders want to be elected by acclamation, not by election. The leaders are afraid of putting their popularity to the test. It is a view that runs deep, right down to the election of branch chairman. You need to win one of these seats - which one depends on your ambition and your belief in what you are good for - to be a player. Losing one is not a fatal blow, nor as Tun Mahathir Mohamed would tell you, is expulsion from the party. But unless you have the inner track, a setback can be fatal. Dato' Hishamuddin has decided to stay put for two reasons: the crowded vice-presidential pack will mean that most are likely to be disappointed; after all, only three can be elected vice-presidents. If he did not make it, he is out of the UMNO supreme council, unless the president decides to nominate him to one of ten seats in his gift.

Mr Khairy's former partner was Dato' Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, the Selangor mentri besar. The UMNO heirarchy decided he was an upstart, even with Mr Khairy as his running mate. UMNO leaders, unless they are related to the supreme leader or is blessed by him, know fully well they can progress according to Buggins' Turn. Dr Khir is frozen out. Dato' Hishamuddin suddenly saw the light, and with Mr Khairy as his running mate, hope to be returned unopposed. This is the ideal election result: where one is returned unopposed. If one can be for two decades and more, and if there should be someone rash enough to challenge the leader, more creatives methods, which I need not name, are often used. The master in this art is the MIC leader, Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu.

Dato' Hishamuddin wants to be returned unopposed with his running mate. But he works at it by pressuring UMNO youth leaders to give way in their favour. The New Straits Times of 08 June said four announced candidates for the deputy youth leaders, all members of its executive committee, have withdrawn in favour of Mr Khairy. One of them said he would contest only if Mr Khairy does not. "I am willing to withdraw," he said, " as Khairy is a capable leader who has great potential and can contribute greatly to UMNO youth." Another had offered himself as a candidate because he assumed Mr Khairy was not keen to become UMNO youth deputy chief. However as the mythical grassroots, and the Perak UMNO youth, want the Prime Minister's son-in-law, he would withdraw. Yet another opted out to prepare to oust PAS from Kelantan. Besides, UMNO must be united in the face of untold pressures.

What caused this change of heart, when they knew he was a candidate when they threw their hats into the ring? No one is talking. But these young politicians know which side the bread is buttered, and acted accordingly. The reasons they gave do not mean anything. They know that if they pressed their case too strongly, they could be out of the decision making altogether.

In this, the UMNO youth is far smarter than UMNO. Its secretary-general and acting deputy president hijacked the supreme council and decided the two top posts should not be contested. No decision was taken. But does that matter in this wonderful land of Bolehland? That Dato' Seri Najib is an interested party and he should not be a party in this is of course cheerly ignored. All it need was to land UMNO in a deep mess. Pak Lah needs the victory more than Dato' Seri Najib, is the weaker of the two in the estimation of the UMNO ground. He had laid his hopes on the March general elections, but the allegations and accusations of cheating, including by the Election Commission, made a mockery of what would have been an astonishing and astounding electoral victory. The advantage he expected, from that victory has dissipated.

In fact, UMNO is deeply divided, with political warlords flexing their muscles. Pak Lah must understand the shock waves, and not for the better, his son-in-law's candidature strikes in UMNO. But he cannot stop it. For, let us mince no words about it, Mr Khairy left his father-in-law's service under a cloud. The question is raised, rightly so, that if he cannot contain his son-in-law from damaging his political career, how could he react to a real challenge for the UMNO presidency? Would there be a challenge? I do not know. But as matters stand, I would expect one. Rumours already are afoot that one prominent UMNO leader will make an announcement of his plans in the third week of June. He is not the only one. There are others too. And believe you me they are not there naked and alone. They have behind them more support that is possible to imagine. Pak Lah has become, in his six months as Prime Minister, the lightnight for all that has gone wrong in the Mahathir epoch. Compounding it is that several powerful and well-orchestrated groups not given the time of day then now are eager to show what they can do. Dato' Hishamuddin also does not want a contest for the same reason: if this momentum catches, he might himself at the wrong end of a sticky wicket.

[This is my column in Seruan Keadilan, the official organ of the political party, KeADILan, in its latest issue out today, 14 June 2004.]

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