Khairy vs Ibrahim Ali and PAS fails to generate heat

Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin made the most of his Oxford polish in trumping both PAS Shah Alam parliamentarian Khalid Samad and Perkasa chairperson Ibrahim Ali at a forum on the Malaysian political mindset, gaining somewhat favourable ground in the discussion on whether politics of ideology will replace politics of race.

Their discussion was part of the two day Malaysian Student Leaders Summit in Kuala Lumpur today, organised by the United Kingdom and Eire Council for Malaysian Students (UKEC), that started yesterday and featured Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at its closing.

The Rembau MP (left) went from underdog to crowd-pleaser as he deflected what he called the "extreme right wing" views of Ibrahim and "the wishy-washy liberal" ideas of Khalid with his "realistic, middle ground” argument, which he said reflected the political reality of Malaysia.

"Should politics of ideology replace racial politics? The short answer is yes. But the reality is far different from what we wish it to be. While many of us here want to have politics of ideology, the majority of Malaysians do not think so. The mind-share is there but it is not enough," said the BN leader.

As proof, he quoted a Merdeka Centre survey which he said made it clear the many Malays still want to maintain economic protection for the race and another study which showed that many Malaysians feel that the NEP is still relevant.

He said that they need to engage with more of the populace, and change their minds if they want to expand the politics of ideology beyond the few kilometer radius of Bangsar and Kualu Lumpur to the rest of the country, where the rural folks and grassroots still have a different mindset.

Khalid 'wishy washy'

Khalid, however, put forth the view that the public is already tired of racial politics and is pushing for a change.

"The 2008 general election shows us that they want to change," he said.

And while Khalid (left) started off as a clear favourite, with his political 'home ground' advantage of the more contentious student leaders, Khairy managed to play up fears that an ultra-conservative PAS grassroots is the real voice behind what he called Khalid's wishy-washy liberal facade.

Khairy sowed doubts on Khalid's voice within the party saying the PAS leader did not even manage to win during party polls.

The PAS MP returned the dig reminding Khairy that he may have won at party elections but failed to secure a minister post.

The wily Shah Alam MP, with his trademark abrasiveness that has made him notorious in Parliament, however ended up making Khairy seem more level headed and earnest.

"We are not in parliament YB, this is my floor, you can't just interrupt," retorted Khairy when Khalid interjected him several times.

Ibrahim, on the other hand, watered down his usual fiery racist posturing with more intellectual demeanour, carefully tailoring his arguments in an uncharacteristic scholarly fashion.

His move earned him eventual cheers after a rather hostile initial reception.

Once a racist...

Unfortunately, whatever points he scored was squandered when his racial rhetoric reared its ugly head.

The Independent MP's continual defence of Perkasa as not racist went down poorly with the audience.

Ibrahim (left) argued that Malaysia is a state nation rather than a nation state, explaining that the former was plural and multiracial, while the latter was of a singular race.

From this, he concluded that politics of race was a question of national security, required to maintain the delicate equilibrium of our country, which has been practised for the past 50 years.

"Racial politics is the future of Malaysian politics," he opined.

The audience soon tired of the Perkasa leader, who hogged the microphone despite attempts by the moderator to rein him in.

"I spoke first, so I must be given more time," he argued with the moderator.

Window dressing

In Khairy's favour was not just his glib manner but in coming well prepared for what the audience of that day, the student leaders, want wanted to hear.

Perhaps his ability to reach out to the students was the product of his BN youth labs, which he had conceptualised and realised as a means to engage the young.

However, this Khairy's easy demeanour may be nothing more than the expensive shirts and suits that he usually sports; exterior dressing to make him look good.

And just as he argued that Khalid was not representative of PAS grassroots, the same could be said for him as he himself admitted that he was "being disowned" by the current BN leadership.

And just as he accused of Khalid, his own sweet words may also not necessarily reflect those of Umno and the BN.

Which leaves much to conjecture, of whether or not BN or even Umno is serious in wanting to change, or whether they are just plodding along, as Khalid puts it, merely for survival.

In the end, Khairy's last words in this forum may mean nothing if it cannot be followed through in the BN.

And while there is no love lost amongst the three politicians, with pot shots and heated moments aplenty to show in the discussion, the session did not degenerate into the predicted political Armageddon, and this is perhaps something commendable.

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courtesy of Malaysiakini