Umno will head into its general assembly with an unusual mix of confidence and discontent, as recent controversies temper the euphoria surrounding its victories in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
The wins have strengthened talk of an Umno-led “blue wave”, but renewed attention on controversies linked to Barisan Nasional’s time in power, particularly involving Tabung Haji and Felda, could also fuel a perception among members that Umno and its former leaders are being targeted.
Political analyst Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the recent declassification of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s findings into Tabung Haji, followed by investigations, had once again drawn attention to decisions made by previous BN governments.
“TH is beginning to attract attention on social media. If the issues on the pilgrims’ fund continue to gain traction, it could hurt Umno’s image because it happened during its time in government,” he told FMT.
Mazlan said some Umno leaders might view the developments as a form of political pressure on the party.
“If members believe the party is under pressure from the government it supports, some delegates at the assembly may call for BN to leave the government,” he said.
However, he said BN was unlikely to withdraw, as doing so would offer Umno little immediate political advantage, with leaving Putrajaya meaning the party would surrender its position in government.
Umno focuses on its resurgence
Umno’s leadership appears keen to keep the focus elsewhere after gaining renewed confidence from its victories in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, said Razlan Rafii, political secretary to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the party was not expected to criticise its unity government partner, Pakatan Harapan, as Umno remained focused on winning the support of voters.
“We are in competition with other parties to win the hearts of the people,” he said.
“For political parties, the real enemy is failing to understand what voters want and failing to win their hearts,” Razlan said.
He said Umno’s gains showed that the party was beginning to understand what mattered to voters, particularly their economic and social concerns.
In Johor, where BN won 48 of the 56 state seats, voters had responded positively to the BN-led state government and wanted to see similar standards at the federal level, Razlan said.
As a result, he said Umno would focus on its resurgence rather than engage in disputes with DAP, PKR or other political rivals.
Umno weighs its options ahead of GE16
Umno Supreme Council member Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the party should not rush into changing course but should instead proceed step by step.
“In Johor and Negeri Sembilan, BN used different strategies: going solo in Johor, and in partnership with Perikatan Nasional in Negeri Sembilan,” he said.
However, he said the overall strategy remained unchanged: supporting the unity government at the federal level while assessing the best political strategy for the coming state elections.
Nur Jazlan is also deputy speaker of the Dewan Negara.
PAS is expected to attend Umno’s general assembly from Sept 9 to 12, while Umno was invited to attend the Islamist party’s muktamar on Sept 4.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said the assembly could be Umno’s last before the 16th general election, making the question of future political partnerships difficult to avoid.
“So I think the discussion will be geared towards what kind of partnership Umno wants going into the general election,” he said.
Azmi expects the victories in Johor and Negeri Sembilan to provide the “wow factor” at the assembly, giving Umno grounds to argue that remaining in government and pursuing different electoral formulas are working.
“It will be this kind of wow factor that will be celebrated during the annual gathering, which will determine Umno’s future direction ahead of the next general election.”
