Burden on Umno’s second echelon

UMNO Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh is arguably one of the most-watched personalities in Umno today.

He has also established a presence in Melaka where he is the Merlimau assemblyman and a state exco member.

He was buying groceries in a supermarket a few days ago when he heard someone call him by name. He did not know the lady but she recognised him and insisted that he accept a packet of “lai chee kang” from her.

Dr Akmal, who used to run a medical clinic in town, does not have the pedigree of his immediate predecessor Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki or the va va voom of Khairy Jamaluddin, but he has brought his own style to the post.

It is a clever balance of being frank on thorny issues affecting Umno but not to the extent of rattling the people on top, speaking out on national issues and taking government officials to task while being mindful of the problems of ordinary folk.

“He has yet to be fully tested but he’s working hard to win hearts in the Malay heartland,” said Umno politician and lawyer Ainul Aizat Ahmad Ishak.

Dr Akmal is on the ball on issues affecting his constituents and was recently seen checking the water level at a fishing jetty at about 10pm after unrelenting rains throughout the day.

He is also popular among petty traders and hawkers, often promoting their fares on his social media. Some find it rather gimmicky but social media enables everyone to be the star in their own show.

“This is new politics, they have to be creative in winning back support. I don’t limit them but I also make sure they don’t go overboard,” said his boss, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Rauf Yusoh.

Rauf, who first met Dr Akmal in Russia where he was studying medicine, described the latter’s style as contemporary yet reminiscent of the traditional Umno.

Umno is struggling to remain relevant. The fact that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had to assume the lead in wooing Malay votes during the state elections shows how far down Umno has fallen in the eyes of the Malays.

The circle around Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is still insistent on restoring his image and changing people’s perception of him. They want him to continue his nationwide tour of Umno divisions to explain things to the party grassroots.

Kedah information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin believes that the Bumiputera Economic Congress that Umno is hosting would be able to come up with a “new deal” for the Malays.

“We must be able to offer something more to the Malays,” said Shaiful.

But change in Umno is unlikely to come from the top echelon where there is too much baggage and which is dominated by too many failed politicians.

As such, much rests on the party’s second echelon, represented by Akmal and his team, to initiate the change and to regain the trust of the Malay base.

“We won only 26 seats in the general election and 19 seats in the state election. Does Umno have to sink further before we take drastic action?

“We cannot depend on the old guards to rise again. There is a mountain to climb, we need the younger leaders to do the climbing,” said Segamat deputy chief Bastien Onn.

The second-liners, said Bastien, must be given the leeway to speak out and do things differently.

Many were impressed when Dr Akmal initiated a gathering for the Youth wing to let off steam after Umno’s disastrous performance in the state polls. But critics said he played to the gallery, then waltzed back to his president.

“When I look at the top, I feel like giving up. But when I look down the line, I have hope,” said an Umno veteran from the Bagan Datuk division.

The veteran has met many young professionals holding committee positions at division levels. He said they did not join to get contracts, there are no more goodies to hand out yet they chose Umno.

Umno is not short of second echelon potential, especially in Johor where Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi is only 44 years old.

Johor has a reservoir of young faces like Umno Youth secretary-general Hafiz Ariffin, state exco member and deputy Youth chief Mohd Hairi Mad Shah and Johor Youth chief Nor Azlen Ambros.

Bastien singled out Ayer Hitam Youth chief Luqman Sufyan Mohd Junaidi, a former Bank Negara official, for being outspoken and for his sound opinions.

Lawyer and Selangor Youth chief Mohd Imran Tamrin is seen as a potential figure in Selangor while Pasir Salak chief Khairul Azwan Harun is said to stand out in Perak.

In Perlis, ulama figure Datuk Dr Fathuk Bari Mad Jahya has been noticed for his ability to discuss not only religious affairs but also geopolitics and current issues.

Datuk Nizar Najib, the firstborn of Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the young hope in Pahang where he is a state exco member and regarded as mentri besar material.

In Kedah, Shaiful is seen as having potential despite losing in the last two elections as a result of the green wave. However, states like Kelantan, Terengganu and Penang seem to have stifled new blood in Umno.

Ayer Hitam’s Luqman summed it up quite perfectly when he said that the question of why people choose to remain with Umno is more tricky than why they joined in the first place.

“Admittedly, Umno is not where we hoped it to be but that’s all the more reason for people like myself to stand up and be counted, to contribute to the party that has given so much for so long.

“You can still find some of the finest men and women in the party and I want to be part of that struggle. There are many things about the party that still represent the grand old party and a source of pride for the Malays,” he said.

For Luqman, there is still hope and a great part of that hope lies with Umno Youth.

The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own