Riding the political roller coaster

Do not discount the unpredictability of politics, says 'bad boy politician' Idris, who has had a seat on the twisty machine. — The Star

THE other day, I had an entertaining dinner chat with Melaka’s “bad boy politician” Datuk Seri Idris Haron.

The former Melaka chief minister and I had a curry fish head meal with politicians, businessmen, and technocrats in a famous seafood restaurant in Kota Kinabalu.

Naturally the topic of conversation was primarily politics, and Idris, displaying his signature jovial character, gave his insights.

Idris, who had been chief minister from May 2013 to May 2018, told us of the time when he was the Umno man who toppled the Umno-led Melaka government in 2021 when he sided with the Opposition, Pakatan Harapan.

At that time, Idris and three assemblymen – one each from Umno and Bersatu, and a former DAP leader – switched sides and joined forces with Pakatan. They had enough of a majority (15 out of 28 state assembly seats) to take over the Barisan Nasional-Bersatu state government.

However, the state assembly was dissolved, and Umno won in a landslide in the subsequent election.

“They [Umno] labelled me the ‘bad guy’ as I toppled the government. So I joined forces with Adly to form a coalition with Pakatan,” he said, referring to Adly Zahari, who was Pakatan’s chief minister of Melaka from May 2018 to March 2020 after the coalition won the state in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018.

“It was taboo for Umno when I took the initiative to work hand in hand with DAP, PKR, and Amanah. That time, when you mentioned DAP, they were allergic to the name.”

The former Tangga Batu MP explained that, at that time, he saw a better future under a unity government.

“When DAP agreed to let me lead the state as chief minister, it would have been the first time in Malaysian politics that DAP accepted an Umno man as a chief minister,” he said, recalling the move made in 2021 by a coalition comprising seven DAP assemblymen plus an ex-DAP assemblyman to oust the Barisan-Bersatu government.

The DAP-led coalition did what the Barisan-Bersatu alliance did to it in 2020 when Bersatu assemblymen and a rogue DAP assemblyman supported Umno to topple the Pakatan state government.

Idris said something similar would have happened at the national level if Melaka could have formed a unity state government; however, it didn’t happen because the state assembly was dissolved.

“My view at that time was against Umno’s policy. I told Umno that if it did not work with DAP, Umno would not get Chinese support,” said Idris.

“It was high time for Umno to open the door to DAP. But at that time, it was taboo for Umno. It could not accept DAP as a political partner. Never. That is why they came up with the slogan, ‘No DAP, No Anwar’,” he said, referring to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The “bad boy” of Melaka politics pointed out that his prediction came true. Umno did badly in GE15 in 2022. The party witnessed a significant reduction of parliamentary seats from 81 in GE13, to 43 in GE14, to 26 in GE15. It was the party’s worst election performance.

Idris recalled that Umno labelled him a pengkhianat (traitor) for suggesting that the party work hand in hand with DAP. “They said that Idris was pengkhianat Bangsa Melayu (Malay race),” he said.

About 18 months later, after GE15, Umno began working hand in hand with DAP when the party joined Prime Minister Anwar’s unity government.

“So what happened to the label that Idris Haron is pengkhianat? Who is pengkhianat now that Umno is working with DAP?” said the man without a party.

“That is what I intended to do about 18 months before GE15. But at that time, it was an extraordinary matter for them.

“It had never happened before. Idris was leading it [the move to work with DAP]. They could not accept it. They said I was pengkhianat. They said I merosakan (damaged) Umno, and they sacked me from the party.

“When they did it [when Umno began working with DAP in the unity government], they said I was too fast. That I did it at the wrong time, but some say I was forward-thinking and could foresee what was happening in national politics.”

Idris continued, “In politics, if you are too fast, they chop you off. If you are too slow, they will kick you out. You have to have the right rhythm, then you will be safe and secure.”

The politician said that when DAP, PKR, and Amanah agreed to make him the chief minister in the failed attempt to form the Melaka government in 2021, it showed that he was “drawing the line” in the power equation.

“But now Umno is not drawing the line [in Anwar’s unity government],” he said.

“I told them you are now in a different situation. You joined the unity government, and you are subservient to the other parties. It means you can’t draw the line. You are the follower, you just follow.”

In 2021, the forward-thinker wanted Umno to open its door to Pakatan.

“Umno can no longer be a race-based party. It had to become the United Malaysian National Organisation and not the United Malay National Organisation,” said Idris.

“Come PKR, join us; come Amanah, join us. We have a president and five to six vice presidents representing all the parties. It would have been the best choice for the people at that time.”

Six months ago, Idris said to PMX – as Anwar is called as he is the country’s 10th PM – that for Anwar to continue as prime minister, he must become Umno’s president.

“Mana boleh [how is that possible]? Umno will not accept me,” was Anwar’s reply, according to Idris.

“When you tell me Anwar can be Umno president, I laugh at you. In 18 months, will you be the one laughing?” I asked Idris.

“Politics is the art of all possibilities. Anything can happen in politics. Now you start hearing [Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri] Hamzah Zainuddin is willing to cooperate with Umno,” he said.

“You hear that PAS is ready to open its door to Pakatan Harapan. So who can best tell you what will happen in the next one and a half years?”

Idris said that politics is all about uncertainties. He explained that you can be A now but be B later.

“Anwar can be in prison for many years and now he is walking tall as Prime Minister. While Najib, who some say was the most effective PM, is now in jail,” he said. “DAP has now mellowed from what it was before.”

Do not discount political unpredictability, said Melaka’s bad boy politician.