Speeches and Schisms: Breaking Down the UMNO General Assembly

UMNO recently celebrated its 75th Anniversary, with party President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealing at the recent general assembly how the party will contest the 15th General Elections (GE15). However, not all is well within the party, as pro-Perikatan Nasional members, like Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, have claimed that their views are being shut out. Dr Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate at University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute-Malaysia, gave us her insight.

1. All Talk, No Walk

The assembly established that UMNO is ready to do something, but they’re not doing it yet. The main policy proposed at the assembly was the implementation of sharia law. This indicates that UMNO intends to use religion as a form of legitimization while sidestepping racial issues, but it also puts it in direct contention with PAS and undermines Bersatu. Other than that, there seems to be a lack of clear policies and programmes to appeal to their supporters, and the party hasn’t yet defined itself in this new era.

2. Power, If You Can Keep It

UMNO wants to be the power on its own terms and hold the government. They want to sever ties with Bersatu, and put PAS on notice in areas like Terengganu and Kedah. But the party, still sticking to its old leadership, doesn’t seem to realize that the current reality is full of fragmented political parties, or that they might need to play a secondary position to their allies. However, while they deny a working relationship with PKR, the lack of attacks on PKR and Pakatan Harapan might be an indication of a softening of tone.

3. Apart at the Seams

The main message of the assembly was determined by, and to establish who was in power. Centrists, including 11 ministers and 14 people in charge of GLCs, were either ridiculed with uses of terminology such as ‘parasite’, or suspended for criticizing Zahid and Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Not only will this almost certainly generate backlash or defections, it also could make UMNO vulnerable, since Zahid is facing a court case, and UMNO itself is still being investigated by the Registrar of Societies.

4. All By Themselves

The assembly looked to be an attempt to bring back the grassroots to the party, with UMNO stating their intention to divorce from PAS, and the small centrist faction doesn’t seem to have the grassroots support needed to push the party in a different direction. But can the party survive electorally by itself? GE15 will be a very tough political environment, and if UMNO stays on their current trajectory, they will be competing with few functional alliances, few resources, and many three-corner fights which, historically, have not often fallen in UMNO’s favour.

5. Coming Up Next

We might see the current Perikatan Nasional government taking steps to respond to UMNO challenging PAS, as well as begin work to prevent defections. Internally, fissures within UMNO might continue to widen, which works to PN’s advantage, while Zahid and Najib’s future legal woes could cause more trouble for the party itself.

Written by Toby Teh and Edited by Lyn Mak