KUALA LUMPUR: Getting MCA into Muafakat Nasional (MN) has to be Umno’s number one priority if the coalition is to make any headway in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak Associate Professor Dr Jeniri Amir said Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan, should go out on a limb and court MCA and its president, Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, personally, if MN was to be formed and reap any success.
“MN is the best way forward at restoring MCA to its pre-GE14 command of seven parliamentary and 11 state states, if the current sentiment towards Pakatan Harapan endures or worsens.
“But, Umno has to show that it would be set-up and operated with sincerity and moderation to its partners. That is the challenge”, he told the New Straits Times.
The Pasir Salak MP had recently in Dewan Rakyat mocked DAP’s Jelutong MP RSN Rayer’s religious faith by questioning whether the sacred ash on his forehead was the ashes of the late communist leader Chin Peng.
“One important approach is to iron out their issues (differences),” Jeniri said.
He also said component parties such as MCA and MIC had to understand that they had to work with other parties as they could not face GE15 alone.
“They cannot have their cake and eat it.”
Jeniri was referring to the 14th General Election where MCA won only one parliamentary seat and two state seats, while MIC won two parliamentary and three state seats.
Analysts said this was a clear sign as to why the parties were rejected by Malaysians and that race-based politics did not work, especially among non-Malays.
Jeniri added that all Umno and Pas leaders must be on the same page regarding MN.
They must speak with one voice instead of some parties saying that it is yet to be formalised, while others are going about making other remarks, he said.
Political analyst Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said MN could be a force to be reckoned if everything fell in place.
He said the major drawback was that the collaboration had yet to crystalise into a framework with clear policies, agendas and new initiatives to canvas the support from the people.
“They are too slow in this respect, so much so that they have no ammunition to attack Pakatan Harapan in the long run and tend to fall back on their old tricks such as race and religion.
“For now they have to move fast and lure the Chinese (to join MN).”
He also said Umno’s warlord culture which was misconstrued in their culture of walak or loyalty to its leaders was also a major hindrance to its rejuvenation.
“They have to overcome their inherent culture of patronage and get rid of their warlords who are barring youth and intelligentsia from joining Umno through their domineering ways and disregard of new ideas,” said the Universiti Utara Malaysia professor.
Azizuddin said Umno also needed to distance itself from its former president and Barisan Nasional adviser Datuk Seri Najib Razak if they hoped to recapture Putrajaya.
He said while Najib’s court cases were still ongoing, Umno was nevertheless not out of the wilderness in terms of people’s confidence and as such the BN lynchpin needed to create a new and different image for itself from that of the old regime.
He said Umno’s brand was damaged and Najib had been the Umno president and prime minister when when the party lost during the 14th General Election.