“Wake up, Puchong UMNO: You never contributed a tiny bit to Yeo Bee Yin’s landslide GE15 victory”

 

YEO Bee Yin did not just win the Puchong parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15) – the National DAP publicity secretary obliterated the field with a 57,957-vote majority.

Now UMNO Puchong wants to boycott and severe ties with Pakatan Harapan (PH) over a Facebook post by Yeo Bee Yin celebrating an unfavourable court decision against Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Let’s be absolutely clear: this boycott is politically irrelevant and will not impact DAP or Yeo Bee Yin in any way.

The DAP women’s wing deputy chief won GE15 without UMNO’s support. UMNO was not needed then. UMNO is not needed now.

What UMNO Puchong is doing is not a warning. It is a self-inflicted embarrassment. A toothless move that changes nothing at federal level, nothing at state level and nothing to DAP’s dominance in Puchong.

This action cannot draw first blood. It cannot even leave a scratch.

Now compare this with the ROAR from the UMNO HQ (headquarters). UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki thundered, warning that UMNO “will not tolerate” what he described as arrogance and insensitivity, demanding firm action and respect.

That was the language of confrontation. That was chest-thumping. That was a political roar.

‘UMNO’s own vulnerability exposed’

So here’s the question:

After roaring like a tiger at the national level, why is UMNO Puchong left purring like a house cat?

If UMNO truly wanted to take a stand, it would act where power actually resides, ie at the national leadership level, not through a meek divisional protest that exposes its own weakness and helplessness.

This warrants a question: Is Yeo Bee Yin left to confront a TOOTHLESS UMNO or are Malaysians who despise corruptible leaders left to be entertained by a UMNO POLITICAL THEATRE?

Let’s be honest.

Yeo Bee Yin will remain the Puchong MP with possibly a more massive mandate after this UMNO theatrics.

This boycott won’t weaken her. It won’t weaken DAP.

In fact, this political “purr” only makes Yeo Bee Yin look untouchable and DAP look invincible while exposing UMNO’s own weakness. It will make UMNO looking reactive, fractured and powerless.

If UMNO thinks this gesture will hurt DAP, they are deluding themselves. This is an exercise in futility and one that amplifies UMNO’s weakness and highlights DAP’s strength.

You don’t roar like a tiger in Kuala Lumpur and then whimper at division level.

That’s not strength. That’s theatre. 

Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker was a former MCA vice-president and former Youth and Sports deputy minister. 

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.

- Focus Malaysia.