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Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi recently declared that he would rather not be Menteri Besar than sit in a state government with DAP.
He did not say, "I disagree with DAP." Not "I oppose DAP's policies." Not even "I think DAP would be bad for Johor."
No. He would rather give up the highest political office in the state than sit at the same table.
That is not political disagreement. That is the kind of reaction most people reserve for an ex-spouse after a particularly unpleasant divorce.
The explanation, we are told, is Bangsa Johor.
Now this is where things become interesting.
For years, Bangsa Johor has been celebrated as a unique Johorean identity that transcends race, religion and background. One family united under one banner.
It is a beautiful idea.
Yet apparently this spirit of inclusiveness is so fragile that it cannot survive exposure to DAP.
Everyone is welcome under the Bangsa Johor umbrella.
Except DAP.
The obvious question is why.
If Bangsa Johor can accommodate Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs, Eurasians, Orang Asli, Sabahans, Sarawakians, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists and atheists, why does it suddenly hit a wall when confronted with DAP?
Surely there must be something uniquely horrifying about them.
Something so terrible that it outweighs forming a stable government.
Something so alarming that it justifies sacrificing the Menteri Besar's office itself.
What exactly is it?
Are they carrying a contagious disease?
Do they emit dangerous levels of political radiation?
Do they leave the toilet seat up during meetings?
Or double-dip at official functions?
The public deserves answers. Because if the objection is not racial and not based on any specific wrongdoing, then we are left with something resembling an old family feud.
Nobody remembers how it started. Everyone just knows they are supposed to remain angry.
This raises another question.
Would Bangsa Johor reject every other political party?
PAS?
PKR?
Bersatu?
Amanah?
Bersama?
Would the Menteri Besar rather surrender his office than work with any of them? Or is this extraordinary level of resistance reserved exclusively for DAP?
Because if every other party remains negotiable, then this is not really about Bangsa Johor.
It is about DAP.
Bangsa Johor is simply the decorative gift wrapping. The actual product inside the box is old-fashioned anti-DAP politics.
That, in itself, is perfectly fine. Politicians are allowed to dislike other politicians. Just do not dress it up as some profound philosophical doctrine.
This is like someone insisting they would never eat durian while standing in a durian orchard, holding a durian, and discussing durian policy with other durian enthusiasts.
At some point, people stop talking about fruit and start asking, “What happened between you and durian?”
That is where Johor politics finds itself.
The conversation is no longer about Bangsa Johor. The conversation is about DAP.
Most importantly, if DAP is truly so dangerous, why does this danger appear only during election season?
Malaysia's political leaders have somehow managed to sit in the same federal government for years. Budgets are passed. Meetings are held. Policies are discussed.
Yet every election season, DAP is rediscovered as an existential threat.
It is a remarkable phenomenon.
Scientists should probably study it.
Perhaps the most fascinating part of this entire episode is who is making the argument.
Onn Hafiz is not just another UMNO politician.
He is the great-grandson of Onn Jaafar. The same Onn Jaafar who proposed opening UMNO to all races and eventually left the party he founded when that vision was rejected.
The irony is extraordinary.
A descendant of a man who challenged communal political boundaries is now explaining why one particular political party cannot be accommodated under a banner supposedly built on unity.
History surely has a sense of humour.
Because if Bangsa Johor is strong enough to unite millions of people from different races, religions and backgrounds, surely it should be strong enough to survive DAP.
Otherwise, the problem may not be DAP.
It may be that Bangsa Johor is not nearly as inclusive as its champions would like us to believe.
Fa Abdul (fa.abdul.penang@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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