Akmal lights up another fuse after issuing ultimatum to his own party – UMNO!
Spirits may be high among some UMNO and PAS supporters at the prospect of the two iconic Malay parties joining forces; but have they forgotten the bitter lessons from their previous brief courtship in 2019?
For the record, in a special convention last Saturday (January 3) firebrand UMNO Youth chief Akmal Saleh had called for his party to immediately withdraw from PM Anwar's unity government and forge a fresh partnership with PAS under the now defunct Muafakat Nasional political bloc.
Interestingly, Akmal had claimed that certain “red lines” involving Malay rights, Islam, and the monarchy had been repeatedly crossed; he added that the nationalist party should not fear being in the opposition in order to restore its dignity.
It is believed that the gist of its grouses is centred on the fate of jailed ex-premier Najib Razak particularly the recent failure of his house arrest bid and his conviction in the 1MDB case; but are those reasons enough to justify UMNO’s exit from the relatively stable unity government?
Instead of being once bitten, twice shy – will an emotionally charged UMNO fall into the trap set by PAS?
Yet, despite Akmal's “ultimatum” the reality is that an immediate withdrawal from the Madani government is a long shot as the nationalist party is now committed to maintaining the political and economic stability in the country; moreover, aren't its top leaders also holding significant ministerial posts in the current administration?
In that context, did Akmal take into account the fact that a sudden exit will force his party to vacate seven ministerial and five deputy ministerial posts – and in the process lose much of its power base, influence and resources?
By “abandoning” the ruling government midstream, can UMNO truly “reclaim” its dignity – or will it lose it?
In fact, if the party leaders were to succumb to Akmal's pressure, won't they also incur the wrath of the general public who had endured enough political instability during the post-Sheraton era?
Moreover, just as how UMNO had mocked MIC, won't its continuous “threats” to leave the unity government also damage it’s own credibility and reputation?
True, it might regain some of its Malay electoral support; however, it is virtually guaranteed to be shunned by the non-Malay voters; in fact, wouldn't Akmal's defiant stance actually “push” many disgruntled PH supporters and even fence sitters to return to the latter.
But if UMNO were to reunite with PAS, who would be the “big brother” then?
Historically UMNO has always strived to be the dominant party; in this case, how will it cope with an increasingly ambitious and aggressive PAS? Won't both the parties be vying to capture the Malay heartlands? What about the Bersatu factor?
More significantly, assuming the UMNO-PAS alliance does emerge victorious in the next general elections, which among the two will claim the ultimate crown – the coveted prime minister's post? Or would there be another round of infighting and backstabbing – and eventual collapse?
What then if Zahid decides to “cold storage” his youth wing head honcho briefly so as not to rock the Madani boat – at least until GE16?
With tensions within the PH-led coalition government teetering at boiling point now following Akmal's latest crusade for his race, religion and king, what if the UMNO president decides to suspend the young Turk?
Come to think of it, Zahid might even bar him temporarily from participating in elections; after all, in the past didn't he show his ruthless side by either sacking or suspending prominent dissenters such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan?
In any case, the renewed calls for UMNO to join PAS and revive Muafakat Nasional may not succeed, even amid growing strains within the opposition coalition; this is because it is said to lack strong support from UMNO's top leadership.
Unsurprisingly, another reason for that is reportedly the deep-seated distrust still lingering from the collapse of the previous pact, when PAS unilaterally decided to align itself with Bersatu to form PN.
Finally, wasn't Anwar's unity government born out of the decree by the king?
In conclusion, by calling for the proud nationalist party to exit the Madani government allegedly because of Najib's failure in the house arrest bid and the 1MDB court case, won't they actually be showing disrespect to the very royal institution they have vowed to uphold? Can't they see the irony?
Notes to Ponder: There is still a possibility that the controversial proposal to reunite with PAS will be debated during the UMNO General Assembly this January 14–17; but at such short notice, and with so much at stake, what are the chances that the party's shrewd and seasoned “war generals” will succumb to the wishes of a young upstart commander who may be driven by his own ambition – and raw emotion – more than anything else?
Main information source: CNA, NST, My Sin Chew, NST, Focus Malaysia and FMT
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