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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright July 2024
So, what happens when you mix a controversial US fund manager, a desperate Prime Minister, and a handful of outspoken UMNO leaders? You get a delightful cocktail of political drama, with a garnish of social media mudslinging.
UMNO, the grand old party of Malaysian politics, seems to be teetering on the edge of a soap opera cliffhanger. With the recent uproar over BlackRock's entry into Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), it's almost as if we’re watching a poorly scripted reality show where the contestants – Mohamad Hasan, Akmal Saleh, and Nazifuddin Najib – are pitted against the prime minister’s sycophantic fan club.
Let's break down the plot. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, backed by UMNO’s supreme leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, decided to let BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners take a 30% stake in a consortium managing MAHB. It's a deal that would supposedly boost the nation’s infrastructure prowess, but critics claim it's more about opening our doors to a fund complicit in Israel's genocidal campaigns. Enter our protagonists: Tok Mat (Mohamad Hasan), Akmal Saleh, and Nazifuddin Najib, who object to the deal faster than you can say “flip-flop.”
Their objections have unleashed a barrage of cyber-attacks from Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters. PH’s cyber warriors, known for their eloquent social media diatribes, didn’t disappoint. From calling out Nazifuddin's familial tax issues to questioning Akmal’s use of BlackRock-affiliated medicines, the attacks were as creative as they were personal.
Nazifuddin’s analogy of opening our homes to enemies with the BlackRock deal was met with retorts about his own “nauseating” father, jailed ex-PM Najib Razak. Tok Mat, UMNO’s deputy president, was branded as disloyal and stubborn, a real thorn in Zahid’s rosy narrative of progress.
The real kicker? Mohamad confirmed Khairy Jamaluddin’s assertion that the deal wasn’t a collective cabinet decision. In a party where unity is often a facade, such admissions are rare – and revealing.
Is this the beginning of a split between Zahid's camp and Tok Mat's loyalists? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. UMNO has survived more internal strife than a cat with nine lives. Zahid, with his DNAA escape route from 47 criminal charges, is firmly in the saddle, while Tok Mat, the loyal deputy, plays the role of the cautious skeptic.
Yet, the cracks are showing. Zahid’s support for Anwar’s controversial deal juxtaposed against Tok Mat’s opposition suggests a fissure that could widen. Akmal’s outspoken stance and Nazifuddin’s scathing criticism hint at a brewing rebellion within the ranks, challenging the status quo.
Will this lead to an outright split? Maybe, maybe not. UMNO’s history is littered with moments of internal conflict that ultimately get swept under the rug in the name of party unity. However, the rift over the BlackRock deal underscores a deeper ideological divide – one that pits pragmatic diplomacy against populist nationalism.
Anwar, for his part, has played the Israel-Palestine card shrewdly, reminding us of his past support for Palestine while cozying up to US interests. It’s a balancing act that leaves UMNO’s dissenters in a tough spot – criticize too harshly, and they risk being labeled unpatriotic; support the deal, and they alienate their nationalist base.
In the end, this could be less about a split and more about an evolving power dynamic within UMNO. Zahid’s grip on the party may tighten or loosen depending on how this drama unfolds. Tok Mat, Akmal, and Nazifuddin are playing a high-stakes game, and the political landscape could shift dramatically if they manage to rally more support against the BlackRock deal.
As the saga continues, one thing is certain: UMNO’s internal squabbles make for better entertainment than any reality TV show. Stay tuned – the next episode promises more intrigue, more betrayal, and, undoubtedly, more social media theatrics.
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