We know how to land on our feet, purrs Wawasan after Umno’s feline jab

 

Wawasan Negara may be a “small cat”, but it has big ambitions. It wants to claw its way up Malaysia’s political tree and prove that reach is not necessarily measured by size.

Acknowledging that Wawasan may not yet have the strength of a tiger, its vice-president Omar Mustapha said the cat possessed something arguably more useful for survival: “adaptability, balance, and the ability to correct its position when it falls”.

“That is why, when a cat falls, it will often manage to twist its body and land on its feet. It rarely simply falls and rolls over helplessly. Its body reacts quickly to regain its balance before it reaches the ground.

“That is the way a new and small political party should be,” he said.

Omar (above) was responding to Kedah Umno information chief Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin, who said Kedah Umno had decided to negotiate electoral cooperation with PAS alone, rather than the wider Perikatan Nasional coalition, which also includes Wawasan.

Speaking at the 2026 Umno general assembly, Shaiful (below) took a swipe at Wawasan, dismissing the fledgling party as a “cat party”.

But Omar was far from bristling.

He argued that while big parties have the advantage of machinery, money, history, and thousands of members, a small party cannot hope to win by becoming merely a smaller version of a big one.

“When the political landscape changes, a small party can change direction more quickly. When mistakes are made, it does not have decades of baggage to defend. It can learn, correct its course, and move forward again.

“Like a cat falling, its advantage is not that it never makes mistakes or never loses its balance. Its advantage lies in its ability to correct itself before it hits the ground, so that when it lands, it is still standing on its own feet, rather than rolling over and losing its sense of direction,” he added.

Small party, nimble strategy

Omar also highlighted another advantage of being a cat.

“A cat does not need a large space to move. It looks for openings that others do not see. It listens carefully, moves quietly, and only leaps when the distance is right,” he said.

In politics, he argued, a new party does not need to be everywhere at once. It only needs to identify places where people genuinely want a new choice, build trust there, and prove its capabilities one constituency at a time.

“So when people say Wawasan is still small, the answer is simple: Yes, we are small. That is precisely why we can move faster. Yes, we are new. That is precisely why we can still learn without being shackled by old habits.

“And if the country's politics is currently falling and losing its balance, perhaps what is needed is not the biggest party, but a party that knows how to correct its position, land on its own feet, and continue standing.

“So, to those out there who regard us in Wawasan as merely a cat, let me answer: Yes, we may only be a cat, but we are determined and resolute to become the people’s favourite cat,” he added.

From fallout to rebirth

Wawasan may be new to the political spotlight, but its roots stretch back to 2009, when it was founded as Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM).

For years, PCM remained a minor political force with little electoral impact. Its fortunes changed, however, following a fallout between former Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and party president Muhyiddin Yassin.

Following a slew of disciplinary actions by Bersatu against members perceived to be aligned with Hamzah, the party either suspended or sacked 19 MPs.

In 2026, Hamzah and his allies took over PCM and transformed it into Wawasan, with the blessings of PAS.

Both Hamzah and Muhyiddin were Umno veterans before breaking away to form Bersatu alongside former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2016. - Mkini