Umno’s political shadow play

 

First day: Ismail Sabri (left) meeting with Ahmad Zahid in the former’s new workspace, the deputy prime minister’s office, on Friday (July 9). — From Facebook

A WAYANG Jawa unfolded when Umno declared that it was withdrawing support from Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Universiti Malaya political analyst Dr Muhammad Asri Mohd Ali likens Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s early morning press conference on Thursday (July 8) to wayang Jawa, one of the four forms of wayang kulit (shadow play) in Malaysia.

The political analyst explained that shadow plays (which were traditionally staged in rural areas) and their hyperreal tales of good overcoming evil and justice being done offered villagers an escape from hardscrabble lives.

Muhammad Asri argues that Umno’s decision was made to give the impression that the party is concerned for the rakyat and is showing it by withdrawing support for the PM, using the excuse that the Perikatan Nasional coalition government has failed to manage the Covid-19 pandemic well.

“But the question then arises, if they are serious about it, why has Umno not withdrawn from the Perikatan government? Why don’t all Umno MPs sign SDs (statutory declarations) saying they do not support TSMY (Muhyiddin) anymore? Why don’t all its MPs holding minister and deputy minister posts and GLC (government-linked company) chairmanships resign?”

The political analyst contends that Umno’s president has to stage a wayang from time to time to maintain his relevance among party members. Ahmad Zahid can also claim credit for Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob being appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Muhammad Asri said. He points out that Muhyiddin left the DPM post vacant for one-and-a-half-years but when it looked like Ahmad Zahid would trigger a withdrawal of support, the PM reacted by making Ismail Sabri DPM, potentially creating conflict within Umno.

“But is Ahmad Zahid in conflict with Ismail Sabri? The president’s post is secure since the party has postponed its elections to 2023. Ismail Sabri does not pose a threat, ” Muhammad Asri said, adding that Ismail Sabri as DPM is in pole position to be PM, which would allow Umno to retake leadership.

Offering more backing for his wayang Jawa theory, Muhammad Asri said mere hours after the dramatic press conference, Umno stated that its MPs are free to vote for the PM if there is any voting when Parliament reconvenes – “And so the line between ‘hyperreal’ and actual life was drawn, ” he said.

In wayang kulit, a puppeteer manipulates two-dimensional puppets to cast shadows on the screen, explained Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.

This is what is happening in the country, politically, he contends.

“Many characters are being manipulated. Instead of the wayang having one dalang (puppeteer), you have several master puppeteers manipulating the puppets according to their own political rhythms and agendas, ” said the honorary fellow at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Centre for Policy Research and International Studies.

“Our political puppets are easily manipulated with personal gains rather than them performing in the interests of the public.”

Traditionally based on tales from two ancient Hindu epics, Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the basic storyline in wayang kulit revolves around a huge battle, the Bharatayudha, that is fought to establish justice and where good triumphs over evil – but the Malaysian Bharatayudha realpolitik is a shadow play minus the good characters, said Prof Mohamed Ghouse.

Local audiences know the traditional storyline in wayang kulit: “They know what is going on. The audience looks forward to the dalang’s skill of manipulation and the humorous clowns. They revel in the good characters such as Rama (from Ramayana) or Krishna (from the Mahabharata), ” he said.

Similarly, he believes most Malaysians know what is happening in the political scene but are rather lethargic about it.

“Our people are so complacent. They allowed politicians to generate the current political imbroglio, where each one is trying to gain as much as possible irrespective of how it adversely affects the people, ” he said.

“Our problem is we are not going to get involved as long as we have food on the table. But now, things are moving with the white flags. People might realise that they can’t keep quiet, ” he said, referring to the White Flag movement that has Malaysians helping each other with urgent aid of food and basic necessities.

In wayang kulit, there is always a dalang tua (puppet master) and dalang muda (apprentice). When asked who is the greatest puppet master in the country, Prof Mohamed Ghouse’s unhesitant answer was former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He is the dalang tua, and his apprentices are politicians like Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Muhyiddin, PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid, said the professor.

An integral element of a shadow play is the music. The dalang dictates its rhythm and tempo.

“The music accompanies the movement of the puppets. And our politicians dance to the rhythm of the gamelan as dictated by the dalang, ” said Prof Mohamed Ghouse.

The tempo in the current wayang Jawa started andante (slow tempo), moved to moderato (moderate speed) and is now allegro (brisk tempo), according to the professor.

“We are going into the music of the battle scene. The fast music indicates tension and heightened, warlike energy. The characters are fighting each other. They are being manipulated by the master dalang who is watching the annihilation of warring parties from above, ” he said.

A professor of social and intellectual history also sees elements of wayang Jawa in Umno’s move. Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican is with the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization at the International Islamic University.

"The Javanese have many types of wayang kulit depicting differing narratives with the usual protagonists and antagonists. I would resonate with wayang Jawa from a Geertzian view of Indonesia as a theatre state, " he said.

"This is from Clifford Geertz, an American anthropologist who studied the Balinese, Javanese and Indonesian state and society in the 1950s to 1960s. He described Indonesia as a ‘theatre state’. Perhaps this is applicable to Malaysia too in recent years."

In short, Prof Ahmad Murad said, it is an organised spectacle, dramatising plots and narratives.

"It's a process of redefining power, localising and neutralising too, and ultimately centring on locus of concentration. Essentially the dynamics which we can construct as being choreographed, " he said.

I asked Muhammad Asri how Ahmad Zahid’s wayang Jawa would play out. He feels that Umno is a party that cannot separate itself from power.

“The only ideology which unites Umno is power. What has been unfolding over the last few days clearly shows that Umno is not willing to ‘divorce’ the Perikatan government. They see a route to power through it, ” he said.

“The only thing they want to make clear is that TSMY is no longer suitable as PM. With Ismail Sabri as the new DPM, Ahmad Zahid might lay low for a while and let Parliament sit. So far, his objective of staging a wayang Jawa has been achieved, ” he said.

When Ahmad Zahid’s wayang Jawa reaches its climax, will Malaysia applaud? - Star