KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — His apology for the keris waving act may have gone down well with Chinese and Indians, but Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein may have increased his odds against winning support for one of the party’s vice-presidents slots.
In the eyes of the party grassroots, his apology was not a noble act or a sign of maturity but one of weakness. There are more than 10 SMSes circulating among party members slamming him for what they view as a capitulation to pressure from non-Malays.
In coffeehouses and stalls, where political careers are made or broken by Umno operatives, the view is that a Malay leader who cannot defend the Malay symbol cannot be entrusted with a leadership position in the party.
An Umno political operative told The Malaysian Insider today: "What is he going to do next? Tell us that we should change the Umno flag because it contains a keris. This is how some people in Umno are feeling right now. If he is serious about challenging for the vice-president’s position he has a lot of work to do."
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin has said that he will not defend his position in the youth wing, prompting speculation that he is eyeing one of the three vice-president slots. He will have formidable opponents to contend with if he does decide to go for the number 3 position in the party.
They include Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam, Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, Negri Sembilan MB Mohamed Hassan, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zahid Hamidi, and possibly Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, unless he goes for broke as speculated.
Hishammuddin was criticised for introducing the keris gambit at the Umno assembly in 2005. He explained then that it was not provocative but a ceremonial act involving a symbol held in high esteem by the community. But his critics did not let up, arguing that the keris had negative connotations for Chinese and Indians.
Some Umno politicians also ticked him off privately, saying that it was an act which could have repercussions in the general elections. They were spot on. The Opposition said that keris episode was a perfect example of how arrogant and insensitive Umno had become after 50 years in power.
Hishammuddin’s friends say that he was stunned by the election results and has been thinking about the part he played in the defeat of some of his colleagues from the MCA, MIC and Gerakan. Without consulting any of his comrades in the youth wing, he apologised for the keris waving act at the Barisan Nasional Youth meeting last week.
By and large, his mea culpa has been welcomed BN component parties. They know that their task of winning support back from non-Malay communities will be tough unless they show that they are not submissive and that the senior partner in the alliance is prepared to come down a few notches.
But within Umno, the reaction to his apology was different – another indication of the disconnect between the party and the non-Malay constituency in Malaysia. A disconnect which could derail any move by Umno or its BN partners to "get closer" to Chinese and Indian communities and regain their trust.
Cheras division chief Datuk Syed Ali al-Habshee spoke for many in the party when he criticised Hishammuddin for wilting under pressure and apologising for the keris act. The sentiment among many in the party is that the Chinese and Indians betrayed the BN when they voted for Pakatan Rakyat. There is hurt. There is anger. So why should Hishammuddin be too concerned about what non-Malays think of the keris act?
Also, some party members – despite having 78 seats in Parliament and holding most of the levers of power here – are feeling under siege. They feel that Malay special rights, constitutional monarchy and Malay supremacy are under threat by a more demanding non-Malay constituency.
Viewed through those narrow lenses, Hishammuddin’s apology is seen as evidence of growing challenge to the supremacy of the race. Umno politicians say that the Education Minister should have only considered offering an apology after the party elections in December.
"This apology is not going to help BN now. The damage has been done and the next general election is five years away. What he should have done was concentrate on winning the Umno elections and then look at this keris issue," said a former division chief.
So why did Hishammuddin – a political animal - throw caution to the wind and say sorry now? Probably instinct. In 2005, his instinct told him that the keris act would endear him to the party faithful and cement his legacy as the Umno Youth leader who managed to unite the youth wing and championed his race.
Three years later, his instinct told him that he needed to acknowledge his mistake and move to regain the support of his friends in BN and the respect of Malaysians who have always expected the son of Tun Hussein Onn to be above chauvinism.
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