Can Umno transform from ethnic politics to national unity?

I once came across an interesting Sufi story about a visitor who entered a village and sought out the Sufi master, the wise man of the village.

The visitor shared that he was seriously considering moving into the village and enquired as to the kind of neighbourhood the village represented. “Can you kindly tell me about the people here?” he asked.

The Sufi master then inquired as to the type of people who lived in the village the visitor came from.

“They were highway robbers, cheats and liars”, the visitor remarked.

The old Sufi master then stressed that those were exactly the same kind of people who lived here.

On hearing this, the visitor left, never to return again.

Sometime later, another visitor sought out the Sufi master and again shared his intention of shifting to the village. To the Sufi master’s enquiry, the visitor said that the people in the village he came from were the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate and loving people.

The Sufi master replied that those were the very kind of people whom the visitor would encounter in the master’s village.

The visitor was impressed.

In many ways, this story reminds us that the traits we see most clearly in others perhaps also exist strongly in ourselves.

How we see ‘the other’ thus becomes significant in a multi-ethnic society. We can also understand this reality only if we reflect on the challenges faced in relationships with individuals, colleagues, relatives and aggressive personalities.

Acknowledging that we also have negative traits gives us a sense of balance and a spirit of compassion for the other. So, our attitudes, biases and prejudices all matter.

But frequently, because of the power of conditioning, we remain blind to these shortcomings. Recognising that everyone has negative traits makes us wholesome.

This realisation only dawns when we give primacy to silence and reflection, and develop the capacity to see ourselves as we really are.

But how many of us do this? Many of us operate as automatons, imprisoned by our ideas of identity and ethnicity. We are conditioned to live a life within these narrow prison walls.

If Umno continues to see policies only through the lens of ethnicity, and not in the context of justice, fairness and equity for everyone in Malaysia, then it is ultimately doomed. You ultimately reap what you sow.

Attend to the needs of everyone in Malaysia, and in this context, what is right and best for the ethnic Malay will be met. Does becoming ‘Malaysian’ mean that one becomes less of a Malay?

The alternative is to focus on the Malays and be unjust and unfair to the needs of others in Malaysia. Will this contribute to the creation of a cohesive society? No ethnic group can play the victim game for over five decades.

The state of Umno and Barisan Nasional today reflects their own failures, the failure of negative policies and the systemic unfairness that this has generated.

Patronage politics and moral bankruptcy

I wish the very best for Umno but they seem to be their own worst enemies. I was hoping for a presidential address that transcended ethnicity, an address that spoke about what would be the state of Malaysia in the next decade and how Umno would contribute to shaping this reality.

Instead, it was all about Malay interests, anti-DAP and race rhetoric. There was very little substance regarding the increasing price of food, salaries, inflation, the management of the economy, foreign policy regarding the challenges facing the world, let alone Myanmar and other issues nearer home.

Unless Umno morphs into the United Malaysian National Organisation and becomes more inclusive and brands itself anew, there is little prospect of it gaining political momentum.

The entire general assembly was silent on issues relevant to both Sabah and Sarawak. Umno lacks visionary leadership with a moral compass to navigate through the realities of today.

Education and the challenges facing young adults were scarcely touched. Yes, the deaths of many young Malays through motorcycle accidents secured mention, yet this was also because it was an ethnic issue. Did we hear anything that concerned the MIC or the MCA or any of the other BN-aligned parties?

The RM4.5tn corruption crisis

The elephant in the room was never addressed: the issue of endemic and systemic corruption. Now we read of issues within the armed forces. Research by Emir Research suggests that Malaysia may have lost up to RM4.5tn over a 26-year period from 1997 to 2022 due to corruption, leakages and related economic distortions. 

You have to have clean hands to curb corruption. How many Umno leaders can say that they have clean hands to tackle corruption?

Umno’s leadership appears to have lost its moral compass and hence increasingly its relevance. Trust and credibility appear to be at the lowest levels.

Shame on the leadership of Umno and BN for this legacy. Ethnicity, religion and royalty are not the cry of the hour. The focus on ex‑leader Najib Razak and the cry for pardon only deepens this moral confusion. He remains a convict.

The Negeri Sembilan ruler has expressed his bewilderment that there are people supporting leaders who have been convicted.

The sense of right and wrong has become blurred, and when this happens to a political party then its demise is not too far away.

Umno has once again postponed its party elections. How does a party induct fresh blood and ideas when party elections are postponed? The same old faces reappear, and warlords who have been in Parliament for over three decades continue indulging in patronage politics.

Should there be a general election soon, Umno and BN will secure some seats. The Malay landscape is fractured. A motley crowd will be elected.

But the Malay ground is also shifting with an increasing flow into urban areas.

Any government formed in the future is likely to be of a coalition nature. This in itself calls for a mindset change, and it would be important not to underestimate the influence of both Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the federation.

Will the same old warlords and their money power still continue to rule the roost? No new ideas nor any response to a fast-changing local environment and the world?

Umno is clear on its ‘anti’-positions. Its continued anti-DAP bashing only reveals its bankruptcy of ideas.

However, does Umno have the discipline and a relevant cause to promote, unlike the DAP, which holds party elections and accepts change? Those in power within Umno fear losing power and thus do not have the courage to hold regular elections nor bring in fresh blood.

From ethnic division to national unity

One of the founders of Umno, the late Onn Jaffar, left Umno and founded the Independence of Malaya Party. He had both the wisdom and foresight to realise that ethnicity was only a short-term focus.

With the New Economic Policy and similar subsequent policies now moving to over five decades, what is the end result?

It would be unfair to claim that the Malay community has not prospered. The evidence of a vibrant middle class should be lauded. An ethnic-based programme can in the short term provide a sense of social justice and at best provide short-term corrections.

However, in the long run it is akin to riding a tiger. Politicians cannot dismount and if they do so they get ‘killed’.

The golden rule says candidly, “Do not do unto others as you would not like to be done unto you”.

Unable to dismount the tiger, the elites have made millions and billions for themselves at the expense of ordinary people.

Today, they – and Umno – stand discredited.

Yes, I am all for rebranding. But this can only result from a change in mindset. Without this there can be no recalibration, rebranding and change. The same goes for the MCA and the MIC – parties that have likewise suffered a serious credibility crisis.

Unity requires a cause big enough that needs everyone. Race alone does not bring unity as is so evident. Consider the numerous Malay and Indian parties.

Malaysia has better options under the values of fairness, equity, respect and honesty.

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