"Rabble rouser" without a cause

Few days ago, UMNO President and Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said something that may have annoyed certain UMNO supporters. 

At a party Hari Raya event in Hulu Selangor near the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baru by-election to be held, Zahid said UMNO should accept the reality it is no more dominant and should learn to adapt. 

It is similar to the reality Malay right wing have difficulty accepting that the Malay's majority is not overwhelming at 58% of the population and in 6 states, Malays are either minority or marginal majority. 

With Malay politically segmented along different political ideologies, parties and special interest, the Malay narratives once championed by a dominant UMNO is not politically viable with the current demography.    

This relates to the attempt by UMNO Youth Chief, Dr Akmal Salleh to regain the rural Malay support lost to Perikatan using the recent KKMart boycott affair as his cause celebre and claimed it as his Islamic calling. 

It may seemed he personally benefitted politically with overwhelming praises from similar thinking Malays for voicing something they wanted to hear, but is it sustainable?

Rabble rouser

For a while, he is no more seen as "rebel without a cause" youth leader, to use the title of James Dean movie classic, with his provocative and threatening mannerism, but as a rebel with a cause with the recent face saving support from the UMNO supreme council meeting. 

Frankly, such endorsement was unnecessary and could backfire the already tarnished image of UMNO. The narrative, attitude and public image Akmal potrayed of himself was all wrong.

Akmal could brush off the critics from former Pakatan backing liberals or  views of academics, media and politicians as DAP aligned.

However, he cannot ignore the impact of Rafidah Aziz calling him narrow minded little Napolean. Despite some of her political shortcoming, she still commands the respect of people with standing in society or as kids today call influencers. 

They may have been initially angered by the insult of Allah wordings on the few KKMart stockings at two of their stores, but most had a change of mind to view Akmal as rabble rouser with obvious intent to be divisive and undermining national unity.  

As youth leader of a party with long history and position in government, Akmal fail to exhibit the maturity and sense of reasonableness. 

Fell for a covert operation?

With only a few socks found and at only two stores, it could have suspiciously been a planted covert operation to create public uproar. How convenient that PN strangely turned silence and PAS even told members not to support the boycott.

Suspicion also arised when the first person revealing it on social media was the controversial and hard hitting Chinese Muslim preacher, Firdaus Wong. Adding to the suspicion is the presence of mysterious and controversial singer, Caprice entering the frame to meet KKMart owner. 

Khairy Jamaluddin may have praised Akmal before for standing up to Zahid, but he could not tolerate his unreasonableness and for losing the plot to insist calling for boycott. The KKMart owner apologised and bow in Japanese style publicly and also being charged in court. 

Akmal was still at it on the not quite obvious Vern's lady shoes and possibly another covert op intended AEON mini sejadah.   

If Akmal thinks his claim of defending the sanctity of the name of Allah and it is not politically intended is genuine, are there other significant Islamic issues he championed vociferously? 

Seriously he need to change his inner circle people believed to be among others are Bung Mokhtar's son, Azeez Raheem's son and Hishamuddin's boys. 

Seeing his son's presence with Akmal when called in by police at Kota Kinabalu, Bung told Akmal to stand down. It could be an instruction from Zahid, but Akmal and his immature people failed to appreciate the implication of his political stunt with the East Malaysians, particularly Sarawakian, and the general fense seaters.

If Akmal believes 90% of Malays support him, then he and his advisers are dillusional.

It has gotten too far that Agong had to mencemar duli (defile his royal status) to meet the KKMart owner, and tell Akmal and a representative from DAP to stop. 

Akmal-Nga Kor Meng political wayang

Yet he was still at it rudely reacting to Nga Kor Meng by uttering Menteri bodoh for the terrible state of the economy. Wonder why did Anwar refuse to respond?        

However, Nga and Akmal appeared to be at each other's throat since Nga championed the UNESCO heritage status application for Chinese New Villages. The two have been to put it mildly "berbalas pantun" (exchanging quatrains) on one issue after another. 

When a full Minister and a full time state exco could repeatedly be criticising each other and responding within 3 hours of each other, this is not coincidence but planned public exchanges to achieve a desired political outcome. 

This orchestrated rabble rousing by Nga and Akmal seemed intended to incite political support using sensitive and identity politics rhetorics.

It is so 70s and 80s politics. It is not the political reform the DAP aligned activist aspire and they should not remain mum. DAP have been at it since Lim Kit Siang instigated the Malays with his comment for non-Malay PM in December, then the issue of local election and so on.       

Nga is being upped as championing the Chinese cause, while Akmal promoted as champion of the Malay cause.. 

Munafiq

 

Chinese is whole heartedly behind DAP but the Malays are split. How could Akmal champion the Malay cause by just being vocal but yet he is creating a divisive Malay and UMNO 

Akmal may not be a big hypocrite (munafiq) for defending the sanctity of Allah, but if the ultimate intention is political, it is also munafiq. 

The small munafiq believe in Allah, and all matters of Iman but they act similar to the big munafiq by neglecting to follow the rules of Islam in maintaining adab, forgiving, sincere in their actions, and not create chaos and divisiveness. 

During the Hari Raya event, Zahid also said UMNO should be grateful that PM offered them key positions in the government. 

It upset certain UMNO grassroot, partly instigated by sacked Supreme Council member and close comrades of Akmal, Isham Jalil, for the party to leave the DAP membered multi-coalition Unity Government.

If the intention is to get pardon for Najib, its plain dumb and adolescence.

Among them, such as Ismail Sabri and Hishamuddin, are advocating for UMNO to work with the back-stabbing and equally corruption laden, Perikatan Nasional. It will be a diversion from efforts to reform the party, cleanse its past, and seek relevence in its struggle to the new generation of voters.

While certain dreamy faction believe UMNO should go alone as though it has the capacity, resources, organisation, and sufficiently disciplined, dedicated and enthusiastic party workets, not to mentioned overwhelming support from the 40s and below majority age group.

Continuous instability

This group seemed in-denial to the possibility current generation of voters may not find Najib appealing in lieu of his SRC conviction should he be granted pardon or house arrest.   

None of the options will be beneficial to UMNO, thus the top hierarchy is patiently sticking to the current arrangement till further development realised itself.

While the destructive leadership defiance culture continue to prevail and being perpetuated within UMNO, there is talk that PPBM and PAS have issues developing between them. 

Within PPBM, there is disunity developing arising from Muhyiddin resistance to vacate his position as President. 

And within PAS, there are split between several factions. The sickly Hadi is due to vacate his position and several groups positioning to fill up the vacuum. There are group interested to leave PN and support PMX with promises of Ministerial positions. 

All these jockeying for power and political rabble rousing will only divert focus from good governance and check and balance role supposed to be played by opposition to political self preservation. 

With bushfires ignited everywhere and previous fires still not put out by the government coupled with high handed of Fahmi Fadzil, there seemed to be no really worthy cause being pursued. 

The local and global business environment and economy is mildly put as challenging. In the end, it will be the rakyat that will suffer from the loss of focus of the leadership and instability perpetuated.