Extremism everywhere, but Umno leads the pack

After becoming captain, Najib Abdul Razak attempted to chart a moderate course for the BN armada. But when it sailed into troubled waters in the last general election, its mother ship appears to have made a sharp turn to starboard.

At its general assembly over the weekend, numerous Umno delegates did not hesitate to fire their cannons on sensitive matters related to race and religion.

And while critics bombarded Umno for being an extremist political outfit, there were also those who pointed out that these traits are not exclusive to the party, as such elements exist in the Pakatan Rakyat framework as well.

Even former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad once remarked that all Malaysians are racist.

Sharing his views on this, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim admitted that even opposition parties are not free of extremist tendencies.

However, he stressed that Umno is the leader of the pack when it comes to extremism, while there is less tolerance for it among Pakatan parties.

"Extremist ideas have their own attraction... They provide for a quick solution by blaming everybody else for one's troubles.

"Extremism comes in many forms... In terms of religious extremism, Umno must be the leader of the pack. Pakatan is not totally free (of this), but it is lesser.

"In Pakatan, they know what it feels like to be humiliated, ostracised, sidelined and accused of things... So there is more willingness to be tolerant," he told Malaysiakini.

Cultivated traits

On that note, Zaid, a former Umno leader himself, disagreed that racism and religious extremism are imbued in Malaysians.

According to him, these traits have been cultivated over the decades.

"They will only be present if nurtured or encouraged... If the leaders feel no sense of revulsion then it will fester.

"Malaysians have this because we have not taken the trouble to look at the dangers of such developments, when the realisation comes (the situation will change)," he said.

Like everywhere else in the world, Zaid pointed out, there will be groups which are attracted to extremist ideas and parties that champion such causes.

Therefore, he said, it is pertinent for political leaders to suppress this malaise.

"It doesn't go away on its own... just like racism in South Africa. If (anti-apartheid icon) Nelson Mandela had taken the same style as the whites, there would have been a civil war. So it depends on leadership... Mandela decided not to take that route," he added.

Asked if he sees any political leader from the Malaysian ruling elite making a similar stand, Zaid, amid laughter, replied: "If there are, we can't see them."

The former minister explained that at present, it is not politically rewarding to be moderate or tolerant.

"The flavour of the month is defender of the race, it will become the flavour for years to come unless we, the people, do something about it," he said.

Politics of hate

Exhorting Malaysians to think about the future of the nation, Zaid called on them to reject leaders who peddle the politics of hate.

"Leaders will do what it takes to make them popular... politics works like that. If the people reject (this brand of politics), then the leaders will change," he added.

Zaid also reiterated his disappointment with the inflammatory issues raised by Umno delegates during their party assembly.

"The elections are over and I was hoping the PM would take a fresh lead, there was no reason for him to take the (same) route," he added.

Asked if he harbours any regret for being an Umno member once, Zaid, without the slightest hesitation, replied: "No regrets... I have never regretted anything, it is all a learning experience."

The Malaysian political landscape has witnessed several unprecedented twists since the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998, who was then Umno deputy president.

During his stint with Umno, Anwar was often branded a racist and religious extremist by the same politicians and civil society leaders who now struggle alongside him.

After his unceremonious exit, Anwar reinvented himself, established a multiracial party, transformed the opposition into a political powerhouse and is now the face of moderation and tolerance.

Umno and its BN partners, however, continue to tread the beaten path, which some observers believe, nudges them closer to the brink of defeat.