THE recent turmoil of Umno on the issue of political alignment and realignment does not only contribute to the destabilising of the current government, but much worse on the efforts of combating the second wave of Covid-19.
It is true, this is the job of a politician, to play politics, but it would be better if ethics and the sake of people and country become their priority. As Prof Shamsul Amri lambasted those Umno leaders and warlords, as being drowned in a shallow pool, Umno is on the verge of becoming irrelevant to many of the Malays and Malaysia at large.
This can be seen as, while most of the worlds' government leaders call for unity, solidarity, and responsibility from their respective internal political systems, here, it is a call for government change, alleging a lack of numbers in terms of support, or perhaps because of the government is not kind enough.
It is the same song played by former Umno president and current adviser, a disgraced prime minister who is facing court charges, that PN is not doing enough in managing Covid-19. Well, rest assured, it's the same with other governments in the world. It is just a tactic of Umno to create a trust deficit among Malaysians.
It is the same song, albeit a more shameful version, played by Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan. In his impromptu confession on Jan 6, 2021 (which has been set private or removed on YouTube), he rather candidly admits that his actions were due to the alleged unfair treatment of the PN government towards several Umno leaders.
The fact is that Umno is on the verge of becoming irrelevant with their current leaders. The grassroots are looking for Umno to bounce back after the 2018 general election. But the tide is too strong. There are those who are without power now and want to stay in power. The "court cluster" is the perfect label for them.
On the other hand, those who saw the need for immediate reforms in Umno are in a dilemma as to how to strategically position Umno. They are not confident that Umno can be back as a "big brother" standalone entity, nor the possibility of fending off being consumed by another party that focuses on the same demographic of voters. They also do not favour the risk of losing political power.
This is why some are pressing and pushing for the Umno general assembly. The recent proclamation of emergency may halt the plan, but Umno may face a tricky fortune, as the Umno constitution says that its annual general meeting must be held within the 18th month of its last meeting, which is due on Aug 4, 2021.
Umno should be more creative to solve this, or risk being deregistered. But creativity comes with strong leadership, which Umno needs to solve first. For now, several party leaders and wings are pushing their limits for leadership change. Are these the signs the end of Umno?
Apart from that, there are also a small number of factions who prefer a temporary alliance with current government, while at the same time looking for better leadership within Umno. Some political enthusiasts called them "floaters".
Even though there is dissatisfaction with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's leadership, navigating the current political and pandemic situations is no certain thing. Umno's problems do not end there. The failure to close the gap between the leadership and the three million party members, the so-called grassroots, is making it difficult for the party to rise from its current turmoil.
The elite-masses relationship is further widening with disengagement on the party's future direction post GE14. Its systemic, paternalistic approach is another cancer in the Umno leadership style.
But all this is still manageable. The call for another leadership change is imminent. When Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan took charge during the Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's garden leave, Umno gained positive momentum.
Now, Umno faces another crossroads. Take the wrong turn, and it is the end of Umno. Take the right actions, and it will be a new beginning for Umno.
The writer is Senior Lecturer, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia