THE departure of 17 Umno MPs since May 9 has forced the party’s millions of members to reflect on the former political force’s future in post-GE14 Malaysia.
There are two types of party members right now – those like Khairul Nizam Mohamad Rozi, who intends to stay put and who views party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stepping down as the first step to reviving Umno, and others like Akmal from Kuala Lumpur, who says he will simply stop being active in the party.
Khairul said he was disappointed in the defections as well as the lack of leadership in Umno but felt obligated to stay and rebuild the party which is going through its harshest test in its 71-year history.
The Jerai division Youth chief said he hoped to see Umno become a strong opposition party and not go begging to others for help, whether from PAS or Pakatan Harapan.
“We may have lost MPs but for ordinary kampung folk, Umno is still in their blood. Our members are not going away,” said the 40-year-old.
Umno yesterday lost six MPs who have turned independent. This leaves Umno with 37 seats in Parliament from the 54 it won in GE14. It also whittles down Barisan Nasional’s parliamentary seats to 40.
Another long-time party member, Badarudin Osman said he would not be leaving.
“Our MPs and division chiefs can leave. But I will remain. Umno is not the wrong platform. It is its leaders who are wrong,” said the party veteran of 30 years from Shah Alam, Selangor.
Zahid must go
Those who want to stay believe Umno will survive despite the bleeding, but stressed that the leadership must change, starting with the president.
The party has withstood past crises, such as the big split in 1990 when Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah left Umno and took half its leaders and members to form Semangat 46, and in 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim did the same, albeit on a smaller scale.
Senior Johor Umno leader Puad Zarkashi said he was confident Umno would ride out the latest trial.
He noted Bersatu was formed in 2016 by another batch of ex-Umno members led by ex-president, now Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Umno survived all these episodes because at the end of the day, we are a party with a lot of grassroots members. The leaders left but the members remained. Umno will rebuild itself with the grassroots,” said Puad, who used to head the Special Affairs Department (Jasa), which was the BN government’s propaganda arm.
But revival can only start when Zahid goes, said Khairul.
“Every member I meet tells me that Zahid has to step down for the good of the party.”
Badaruddin agreed, saying that Zahid had not been able to provide the vision and direction Umno needed.
“He was only elected because there really wasn’t anyone else for the job. But he’s proved that he doesn’t have any real strength.”
Pahang Umno leader Sharkar Shamsuddin said Zahid had to listen to the grassroots.
“We have to think of the party first. Every struggle requires sacrifice.”
What now, Zahid?
WHAT is Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi going to do now?
Will he be able to survive as Umno president, or will he be forced to relinquish the position?
With all the court cases he is facing now, and Umno disintegrating by the day, is he still in control or getting enough support to lead the party?
These are the questions Umno and Zahid himself have to answer today, after the president was slapped with another charge in court while half a dozen more lawmakers left the party.
Earlier this morning, Zahid was charged with another case of criminal breach of trust, bringing to 46 the number of charges against him.
Just as the charge was being read out to him at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions court, news came in that Tanah Merah MP Ikmal Hisham Abd Aziz had left the party.
As it that wasn’t bad enough, just hours later, five other Umno MPs also quit, informing party secretary-general Annuar Musa of their departure in a letter.
The six who left today are Hamzah Zainudin (Larut), Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), Shabudin Yahaya (Tasek Gelugor), Mohd Faisah Mohd Fakeh (Sabah Bernam), Latiff Ahmad (Mersing) and Ikmal Hisham (Tanah Merah).
Six in a day. Earlier this week, 13 Umno Sabah representatives and 21 state divisions also left the party.
As it stands now, Umno only has 37 seats in parliament, after winning 54 in the 14th general election.
Zahid can no longer accuse the defectors of having no fighting spirit, of being cowards and selfish.
He has blamed Umno leaders who left the party and even Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pakatan Harapan for all the court charges stacked against him.
As a party leader, Zahid is responsible for what happens to Umno. The members were looking to him for leadership after former president Najib Razak stepped down.
None came.
Zahid got the mandate when he won the party election by beating former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Almost a month after becoming president, Zahid appointed Tengku Razaleigh to chair the Umno Advisory Council. But until today, the advisory board has not decided on the direction the party had to take as the opposition.
So, the inevitable is taking place now. Calls are getting louder for him to step down.
Umno Youth had previously proposed that he takes a break until his court cases are settled. Today, party members are not so polite anymore.
One by one, Umno leaders from various levels are beginning to speak up. They do not want Zahid as president any longer.
Khairy could not be any clearer when he tweeted today:
“Pemuda, Puteri, Wanita and the Umno supreme council must demand Zahid Hamidi’s resignation. On top of that, Umno must call for an immediate EGM and have a party election to elect a new leadership. Only Umno members can save Umno. PPBM (Bersatu), Anwar (Ibrahim) or PAS can’t save us.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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