Anthony Loke thinks he scored a point.
“Tak nak duduk semeja dengan DAP, tapi Presiden UMNO setiap minggu duduk sebelah DAP.”
Fair enough.
But the statement reveals something far more interesting.
DAP knows that the UMDAP narrative is still alive.
And DAP knows that UMDAP is the single biggest reason why UMNO lost the trust of many Malay voters.
Let’s be honest.
People did not leave UMNO because they suddenly became PAS supporters.
People did not leave UMNO because they suddenly fell in love with Bersatu.
People left UMNO because they believed UMNO had stopped being UMNO.
For years, UMNO told Malays that DAP represented everything UMNO stood against.
Then suddenly, after GE15, UMNO and DAP found themselves on the same side of government.
Politically, it may have been necessary.
But politically, it was also damaging.
The UMDAP label stuck.
And once a political label sticks, it is almost impossible to remove.
That is why Anthony Loke keeps reminding people.
Because he knows the label still hurts.
But here’s the problem.
The political environment today is no longer what it was in 2023.
Something is changing.
Rumah Bangsa is gaining traction.
Veteran leaders who once walked away are beginning to return.
Grassroots members are becoming more vocal.
And for the first time in years, UMNO looks like a party that is trying to rediscover its own identity.
Adakah rakyat sudah memaafkan UMNO?
Belum.
Adakah semua orang percaya UMNO sudah berubah?
Sudah tentu tidak.
The scars are still there.
The distrust is still there.
The doubts are still there.
But for the first time in a long time, UMNO is moving in the right direction.
And perhaps that is exactly why the attacks are becoming louder.
What is even more interesting is that the cracks within the Unity Government are becoming impossible to hide.
DAP disagrees with UMNO.
PKR disagrees with UMNO.
UMNO disagrees with DAP.
UMNO disagrees with PKR.
The honeymoon is clearly over.
Apa yang rakyat lihat hari ini bukan lagi sebuah kerajaan yang bercakap dengan satu suara.
Apa yang rakyat lihat ialah tiga parti yang semakin menunjukkan perbezaan ideologi, perbezaan agenda dan perbezaan hala tuju.
And that matters.
Because the moment Malays begin to believe that UMNO is no longer merely following DAP and PKR, the entire UMDAP narrative starts to weaken.
That is the real battle happening today.
Bukan soal siapa duduk sebelah siapa dalam mesyuarat kabinet.
Bukan soal siapa makan semeja.
Bukan soal siapa bergambar bersama.
The real battle is perception.
Can UMNO convince Malays that it is still capable of standing on its own feet?
Can UMNO prove that it has not surrendered its identity?
Can UMNO become UMNO again?
Because if it can, then the UMDAP narrative dies.
And make no mistake.
There are people inside and outside the government who desperately do not want that to happen.
Because a UMNO trapped by the UMDAP label is predictable.
But a UMNO that has rediscovered its confidence is dangerous.
Not to the rakyat.
But to its political opponents.
Raja Sara Petra
Raja Sara Petra (rajasarapetra@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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