KUNG FU INFIGHTING overtakes Umno: Sabotage now the main task, money the raison d'etre

Remember the song 'Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting'?'

There's a set of lyrics (reproduced below) making the rounds that reflect the undercurrents dominating the recently-held UMNO congress although Prime Minister Najib Razak and other party leaders have insisted the annual meet showed a more united spirit than in 2008 when UMNO was led by Abdullah Badawi.

But even in that claim of unity, what were Najib and former leader Mahathir Mohamad doing but to blame Badawi for UMNO's worst electoral performance in the 2008 general election.

That sort of backbiting is surely a precursor if not proof of entrenched and deep-seated infighting. 

Everybody in UMNO was sabotaging

Those warlords really loved their infighting

In fact, it was is little bit frightening

But they seem to care like nothing

Sabotage the main preoccupation

Frankly, it is quite normal for two different political parties to sabotage each other but when leaders of the same party openly put their self-interest first and foremost and with glee and gusto go all out to denigrate party mates from rival factions - that's not only the sound of trouble brewing but a real omen of defeat to come.

In any case, so apparent was the bitter fight for territory and the largesse that comes with it - in this case, to be selected to contest seats in the 13th general election - that saboteurs in UMNO and how to get them to toe the party line dominated the party's 66th congress. Indeed, critics who have been accusing UMNO of having gone out of control with leaders at all ranks ready to mutiny may well feel vindicated their claims have been justified.

Even Najib had to speak softly and pander to the warlords at the congress. Threats and scoldings have backfired and the UMNO president is the one led by nose - not his followers. He has to cajole, to appease, to bribe them into some semblance of obedience. For example, when the UMNO disciplinary board recently expelled 2 members from Sabah, the action went under the radar. Bickering continued unabated and even escalated.

Why is this? Why do UMNO members sabotage? What do they sabotage? When party veterans are asked such questions, the inevitable answer is WHY NOT? Everybody in UMNO is doing it! If I cannot get what I want, why should my enemy - even though we are in the same party - get it? But is this all there is to it - bad attitude, nasty values?

Money the raison d'etre

Partly, but actually the main reason is MONEY. As always in things UMNO, the ringgit sign is never far from the heart of any issue. It is all because of money which is UMNO’s culture and this has spread like a cancer into all spheres of the BN government. Whatever UMNO leaders do and whatever the BN government moots, there must be a monetary reward at the end of it all. This is the UMNO rainbow and no wonder the party's raison d'etre has transformed from guarding Malay unity into the proverbial pot of gold.

For the UMNO Malays there are 4 ways to become rich; by inheritance, robbery, business or be a powerful UMNO politician. The more cynical even say the 4 ways are actually politics, politics, politics and politics!

You see, inheritance is only for the privileged and many UMNO Malays come from very poor backgrounds. So whatever inheritance they have are usually meager.

As for robbery, UMNO Malays who indulge generally only do pick-pocketing, handbag snatching. There are also those who frequently prey on the cash registers at petrol stations, fast food, mini-markets and some 24/7 outlets. These are the hardened thugs, the Mat Rempits that UMNO frequently deploy to disrupt the Opposition's ceramah or political talks.

To illustrate how desperate UMNO leaders have become in their efforts to block out Opposition, an UMNO thug even stabbed a man who came to listen to Anwar Ibrahim speak in Gombak. Yet not a word of apology from UMNO, the party which has ruled Malaysia since 1957. Instead, they appeared to justify the action by putting the blame on Anwar, accusing him of lighting the spark with alleged lies.

Business-wise, the UMNO Malays are also not that good so the only way they can get rich quick is by being a powerful or at least an influential UMNO politician. This way, they can not only wheel and deal in style but when caught, they can pull strings to get off the hook!

However, it is no longer easy to make it up the UMNO ladder. Not only is it an elitist party where the inner sanctums of power are closed or 'by invitation only', all along the way are minor or mid-level leaders who are more established, still holding onto power and who think nothing of ... yes, that's right ... SABOTAGING those who try to climb ahead or overtake them.

So, the short-cut is to BRIBE all the way to the top. Those who are already in power know the trick only too well because they have done it before. They have also tasted the sweet fruit that comes when they make it. So no wonder, the all-out fight and take-no-prisoners mentality of the fractious UMNO warlords - 'if I don't get it, then nobody shall get it too! AND MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER THAT!

Negri Sembilan

In recent weeks, there have been many headlines in both the traditional media and the Internet about the sabotage issues in UMNO. Yes, some UMNO warlords have been resorting to the media to try to head accusations of sabotage. But their clumsy efforts have only attracted more question marks and attention to their factional infighting.

Recently, it was reported in Malay daily Sinar Harian that Muhamad Hassan, the Negeri Sembilan UMNO Chief and Menteri Besar, had managed to detect and curtail the phenomenon of sabotage in UMNO. Like Alexander the Great and Gordian knot, Muhamad Hassan managed to nip sabotage in his state in the bud. Many in UMNO familiar with what was really happening on the ground must have laughed at that news and its simplicity.

Muhamad Hassan is actually one of those infighting warlords and he has been among the busiest. It is an open secret that Muhamad Hassan has been feuding Isa Samad, a former MB and now the Felda chairman. Isa is seen to be in the Najib camp and has been quite successful in tightening his grip on the state UMNO.

At the moment, Muhammad Hassan's close relatives are still controlling the Rembau area, where UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin is the Member of Parliament. But Khairy is no longer in favor and Najib wants to control Negeri Sembilan. So on the pretext of fielding new faces in line with the wishes of the grass roots and voters, Najib has given the green light to Isa to 'take out' Muhamad Hassan and his relatives.

This is not really new 'news' and has been buzzing on the UMNO grapevine in various forms for a while now. But with GE13 nearby, Muhamad Hassan and his tribe are really starting to sweat Will they be dropped - and how many of them will be dropped - from Najib's final 'winnable list' of contesting candidates?

Actually, it is Najib who in effect is behind the sabotaging in Negeri Sembilan. As they say, the fish rots from the head and when the highest authority is doing it, how can this phenomenon ever be eradicated in UMNO? Furthermore, apart from Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perlis and Terengganu are all having similar problems. Najib would do well not to be too ambitious and watch his own back.

Muhyiddin

Already, Najib's deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, Mahathir as well as some other veteran UMNO leaders are not happy with him and what he has been doing behind their backs. Yes, they are also busy sabotaging Najib in return. In UMNO circles, Najib is already regarded as yesterday's news. The party power brokers see him as a liability and they will make sure he is replaced with Muhyiddin.

Despite the public avowals of support and sugary smiles, the writing is on the wall for Najib and his controversial wife Rosmah Mansor. The 'guest star' appearances of the likes of carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan and ex-Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan are confirmation of Najib's tenuous hold on power. Both Deepak and Musa shocked the nation with 'suddenly' fearless revelations of alleged corruption and abuse of power by the PM and his cousin Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also the Home Minister.

The lack of warmth between Najib and Muhyiddin, the Deputy Prime Minister, has been apparent from day one. Not only does Muhyiddin seldom support Najib's policies, he is openly critical of the PM's signature 1 Malaysia concept. When posters recently appeared in Johor demanding that Najib be replaced with Muhyiddin, that was taken to be the signal fired by Muhyiddin to tell UMNO that he was ready to take over from his boss. Even in the recent UMNO general assembly, the delegates clapped their hands each time Muhyiddin mentioned Mahathir in his speech which was not at all in tandem with Najib's.

The UMNO party election will be held next year after GE13 and the king maker as far as the UMNO preisdency goes is Mahathir. Hence, there were many watchful eyes at the assembly to see who Mahathir favored and who he would back. Najib who also took care to praise Mahathir was not completely shut out but that he attracted dwindling interest was clear in the way Hishamuddin was deployed to reiterate what he said after every speech to the reporters who covered the event.

No way Najib was going to let Muhyiddin outshine him although that may no longer be within his ability at the next party congress!

Selangor

In Selangor, where Najib heads the UMNO division, treachery and intrigue lurk just below the surface waiting for the right signal to explode. Najib's deputy in Selangor is Noh Omar who has been able to make some inroads in strengthening the state UMNO. But Noh is aligned with Muhyiddin and knows there is no way Najib will fully trust him and his followers.

For sure, even if UMNO wrests back the Selangor state government, Noh won't be named the Mentri Besar or chief minister. So if Noh's name is not on the winnable list or one too many of his supporters have been dropped, chances are high Noh Omar will not hesitate to sabotage.

Another Selangor UMNO leader on 'sabotage watch' is Mohd Zin, who is not popular or well known in the state except in his own constituency. Mohd Zin is not able to get along with the other BN members such as the MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP.

After his appointment at the BN Election Director, Mohd Zin has done little to ensure UMNO-BN regains the state. Critics say he is more interested in improving his position so that he can secure a place on Najib's winnable list even if it means indulging in infighting to outshine party mates. Against such single-mindedness, insiders bet Najib may have no choice but to keep Mohd Zin as a candidate or he will sabotage!

But the biggest saboteur of them all is ...

As for Najib himself, there are many UMNO watchers who say he would be the first one to sabotage Selangor UMNO. That's right - Najib would love nothing more than to start with a clean slate and pick his own set of 'fresh' candidates. The existing Selangor UMNO team are not only plagued by corruption scandals but filled with fractious 'snake heads' who are fearless in plotting and scheming to get their own way.

Make no mistake, Najib can do it because UMNO delegates gave him the power to have final say over the candidates list at last year's congress although they may be bitterly regretting it now. The way he allegedly maneuvered to get Raja Nong Chik the next shot at the Lembah Pantai seat at the expense of Shahrizat Jalil, the Wanita Umno chief who fell from grace following the exposure of the RM250mil NFC scandal is an eye-opener, Umno watchers say.

It was recently reported in UMNO-owned NST newspaper that Najib and Hishamuddin have been compiling names for their list of winnable candidates in Selangor. Is this not sabotaging and usurping the UMNO selection process of the worst kind by putting their 'own men' first? Is Najib willing to lose Selangor so long as UMNO-BN wins in other states and he gets to stay in power after the UMNO party polls due to reciprocal support from those he picked as candidates?

It is clear that despite the trumpeting by the UMNO-controlled media, Najib is not confident of winning back Selangor, so there is nothing much for him to lose anyway. Another shocking piece of 'news' from the UMNO grapevine and perhaps this explains why Najib has failed to dissolve Parliament despite broad hints it would be in November this year is that he has apparently still not decided on the final shortlist of candidates. Najib is still indecisive and even for Selangor, which is deemed to be the most crucial state for UMNO to win back, it is works-in-progress.

Such procrastination is bound to create another dimension in the backlash against Najib. If the UMNO warlords perceive him to be double-crossing them, he will be forced by threats of devastating sabotage to compromise on new aspirants. And in the typical vicious cycle - in revenge for not keeping his promises - the new aspirants too will sabotage Najib. These guys will definitely be very disappointed at being played out and will surely create chaos in Selangor when their dreams, falsely fed by Najib, shatter.

Whichever way one looks at it, Najib is facing a real dilemma. In fact, he can forget about the “feel good” factor helping UMNO in GE13. Instead, it will be a case of sabotage EVERYWHERE!

Malaysia Chronicle