Umno’s voice of reason: Is there really one?

WHEN you speak to members of civil society and ask them who they consider to be a prominent voice of reason within Umno, the name that typically crops up is Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, the deputy higher education minister.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak might talk the language of moderation but the harsh crackdown on Bersih 3.0, the lawsuit against its organisers, and his continued denunciation of the movement doesn’t exactly make him Mr Popular with that crowd.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has been adopting a progressive persona ever since the March 8, 2008 general election but almost everyone I speak to views him with a degree of suspicion because of the hardline “Ultra Malay” stance he took during Pak Lah’s time as prime minister.

In contrast, Saifuddin is widely viewed as the real thing: A genuinely moderate and progressive voice within a largely conservative party.

When the Bersih movement was accused of having communistic elements and the rally was branded as an attempt to topple the government, much of Barisan Nasional (BN) stayed silent, with nary a voice of dissent except from Saifuddin.

“I disagree if Bersih 3.0 is accused of having communist influences or that it wants to topple the government through street protests,” he said. He also voiced his concern about the “unusual” way the media was handled (or rather, manhandled, to be more accurate) during the crackdown.

Of course, Saifuddin was careful to state that he does not support Bersih 3.0 and that he would have preferred it if the government was given more time to implement the recommendations of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms. But crucially, he points out that he doesn’t dismiss the movement either.

While one minister famously maintained that only 22,270 people turned up for the rally, Saifuddin stated that the event was in fact larger than Bersih 2.0. He also noted the diversity of the crowd. “The youths, including graduates, were many. Even more interesting was the involvement of the middle class.”

Another thing that makes him stand out from many BN leaders is his accessibility. When you want to interview government politicians, you usually have to go through their aides who will typically insist that you email or fax them a list of questions. These gatekeepers will then vet your questions to see if you are worthy of interviewing their bosses.

I was told that it’s fine to contact Saifuddin directly. So, I got his number off an acquaintance and sent him an SMS, requesting an interview. He replied positively and even sent me directions to his office when I told him I wasn’t familiar with Putrajaya.

The conversation was informal and through the course of about an hour, I got to know about his background and where his idealism comes from. He was a student activist and had grown up in a multiracial environment despite going to the Malay College Kuala Kangsar. “The fact that I played basketball helped expose me to other races,” he said. “Many of my friends were non-Malays.”

Saifuddin might be a real progressive but he’s also a loyal member of Umno who truly believes the party will lead BN to victory. According to him, the one time Umno was most prepared for the general election was in 1999. “This time, we have doubled our efforts,” he said.

To him, there is no question BN will win although he admits regaining a two-thirds majority in Parliament will be tough. But what happens if BN were to lose? Would he consider joining a Pakatan Rakyat administration if overtures are made then? He replied in the negative, explaining that in such a scenario he’d feel it’s his responsibility to help rebuild support for his party.

I ended the interview by asking him about a permanent banner posted on his website that says “The measure of a leader is not the number of enemies vanquished but the number of enemies turned into friends”.

He says he doesn’t believe in a zero sum game where the winner takes all and the loser is permanently defeated. He likens it to a friendly game of basketball. “You score some points, I score some points. Sometimes you win, sometimes I win. At the end of the day, we can always have a rematch.”

Before I left, he handed me a copy of his book New Politics. If he is the face of new politics from BN, I think there is still plenty of hope. The question is, are there more like him?

-thesundaily