‘WE WON’T ALLOW UMNO TO TAKE OVER BERSATU’
Bersatu’s second annual general assembly this weekend is expected to give a clearer picture of the party’s struggle for Malays and Bumiputeras. It’s expected to tackle questions such as whether Bersatu will become ‘Umno 2.0’. Party information chief Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin tells HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN and LUQMAN ARIF ABDUL KARIM the details
Question: What will this year’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) assembly be like? Answer:
It will begin on Dec 28. The Srikandi (women’s wing) and Armada (youth wing) assemblies will be officiated that night, followed by the assembly and debates on Dec 29. Later that night, the Bersatu annual general assembly will take place and continue the following day. The policy speech will be delivered by chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Assemblies at the branch and division levels have been completed. We are expecting a turnout of about 1,550 delegates. The motions and list of speakers will be handled by the deputy president, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
The number and types of motions to be brought to the general assembly are still being studied. A decision will be made soon. The central headquarters has a general picture of the motions for now, but we are open.
The principle behind the tabling of these motions is that we are open to voices from divisions and branches.
Delegates are free to voice their thoughts and opinions for leaders’ consideration. They can speak on the economy, religion, education and others. Q: Are there any controversial motions from divisions or branches?
A:
The most common motions are those involving the economy, including Bumiputera involvement in the economy. This remains a key talking point, especially after the 14th General Election. Many are keen to know the direction of the Bumiputera agenda, even though we have explained it in the 11th Malaysia Plan mid-term review, and in the Congress on the Future of the Bumiputeras and Nation on Sept 1. I personally do not wish to touch on religion, but it will be raised in line with current needs. Q: What needs to be addressed now that Bersatu is part of the government?
A:
As a pribumi party, we need to assure the people, especially the Malays, that Bersatu champions their special rights, as enshrined in the Constitution, while at the same time not neglecting the rights of other races. The people see us as their champions, especially the Malays, given that Umno is almost on its deathbed.
The people see Bersatu as a party they can depend on to ensure that what is in the Constitution, the social contract, is defended. However, we also have to realise that in the local political context, Bersatu, Umno and Pas share the same target market — Malay voters. That is why, whatever we do, the principles of our struggle have to be clear, such as eradicating corruption. Given that we are competing in the same market, it is inevitable that the people will continue to link Umno and Bersatu because we were established as a platform for the Malays. We can’t deny that, hence why Bersatu’s president and chairman have stated that it is a party for the Malays and Bumiputeras.
For example, when Umno elected representatives left the party, even though no announcement has been made, the first party they would be linked to is Bersatu. It’s a major point because this serves as a model for the people’s thinking, that Bersatu defends the rights of the Bumiputeras without sidelining other races. The perception will remain as we are in the same market and that we are the replacements. That is why, even though many Malays do not like Umno, they remained with the party during the 13th General Election because there was no alternative. But when Bersatu was formed last year, it changed the dynamics — Malays see us as an alternative.
Q: So Bersatu can replace Umno?
A:
We are very confident that Malays will view Bersatu as a party that can continue to help them. This has always been stressed upon, that from a Malay perspective, Bersatu is an alternative. The political dynamics show that many Malays are ready to join us. When BN lost GE14, Umno was no longer part of the government and many issues concerning corruption rose to the surface. For example, before GE14, not much was known about the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) issue. But after GE14, details began emerging. Voters and political leaders are generally rational, but for those who are fanatical, there’s nothing we can do about them.
When these issues were exposed, many came to realise that they had been fooled by (former) Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak. When this happened, many sought a new platform, and naturally, the choice among the Malays was Bersatu. Several Umno members have left the party for Bersatu. If they wanted to join Pas, they would have done so. As explained by the chairman and the leadership, we will study in detail before deciding whether they can join Bersatu. Only those willing to fight for our cause and goals will be accepted.
When we enter someone’s home, we have to respect the rules. The same applies here. What’s important here is for them to understand the party’s struggle and goals. The party’s constitution requires us to reject corruption and emphasise good governance. This is the basis of
the party’s struggle. We are not going to replace Umno, we’ll be even better than Umno.
Q: Could there be a power struggle in Bersatu following the influx of former Umno members?
A:
We had nothing when we were formed on Sept 8, 2016. (Party president) Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin) and Dr Mahathir came as they were. The leadership at all levels were driven by spirit and the desire to topple Umno and BN. We rejected the former government’s corrupt practices and weak governance. So when we won, some of those who defected made Bersatu their first choice. It’s unlikely that we will allow Umno to take over Bersatu.
On a personal note, how was I able to leave everything in Australia to return here and fight? I didn’t know then that we would win and I would become a deputy minister, but I had faith in the party’s struggle. Muhyiddin was sacked (from Umno). He could have remained quiet, but he chose to speak out and was subsequently sacked. The same happened to Mukhriz and Dr Mahathir. We will fight to uphold justice.
As such, there is no way we will allow Umno to take control of Bersatu. We will continue to uphold the principles of the struggle. My personal struggle saw me appointed division chief in February last year. I had to make eight or nine round trips from Hobart, Australia, to Ketereh, Kelantan, each time easily 24 hours and all on my own initiative. I could have chosen to stay there, but because I believed in the struggle, I quit my job as a lecturer and came home. So when people say Bersatu will be taken over by Umno, that we will become Umno 2.0, that is an insult to the party’s struggle.
Q: Are delegates free to touch on the internal problems of Pakatan Harapan component parties?
This is one of the things we stressed on, that we cannot dismiss everything as irrelevant. We have to be rational. When we won GE14, many issues emerged — 1MDB, luxury handbags, cash. As human beings, a large section of the people will see it as an attack. But there is a segment which sees it as a point for them to realise that they made mistakes with their previous beliefs. Take the Tabung Haji issue for example. (The opposition) were fond of saying that they were defending Malays, and yet a Malay institution was ravaged. Many were angry upon realising that they had been fooled, so when this segment of the people made the decision to leave Umno and join Bersatu, we have to take their views into account. We also understand that the decision to accept former Umno members into Bersatu will be seen by some PH allies as Umno taking over. Surely we won’t let someone else so easily take over a party we have built?
Q: What about the perception that Bersatu is in a fragile state with regard to its seat numbers in Parliament?
A:
There’s no question of fragility. PH was formed with the agreement that Dr Mahathir would be prime minister. That was our offer to voters before GE14. There’s no issue with the fact that a party with a low number of seats can hold the PM position. When we went to battle in GE14, who was our general? It was clear to the public that if we won, who would be the person leading us to victory, and that man was Dr Mahathir. We have to remember that for a party that is a year old, gaining 13 seats is no mean feat.
PH’s victory was a collective one, not just Bersatu, PKR, (Parti) Amanah (Negara) or DAP alone. Each party contributed to the win. We understand the sentiments of party members on this (accepting exUmno members), but at the same time, we have to think rationally. A party needs to expand to compete. It requires members, but the decision to accept members lies in the hands of the party. Through existing mechanisms, we will study, review and examine any potential member.
Q: Is Bersatu playing to the Malay gallery, like Umno? A:
Umno and Pas use racial and religious issues as their political model, more so in the last few years. This is generally the easiest way to trigger sentiments, and this can be seen in the Tabung Haji issue. When TH announced that its operations would be supervised by Bank Negara Malaysia, some said TH had fallen under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry, which is headed by Lim Guan Eng. This happened because it is the easiest way to create anger. The fact is that, in the TH issue, the supervision actually involves only the collection of deposits.
Yet, it was portrayed as if TH would be controlled by a finance minister from DAP. Bersatu is clear on how we will defend the interests of Malays and the social contract based on the Constitution. We will not cast aside anything enshrined in the Constitution. We will not use this issue to play up sentiments. Umno and Pas, in their desperation, will continue to play up racial sentiments. We won’t.
Q: Is the debate session open to the media?
A:
It will be closed to the media. We will only open it for the chairman’s policy speech and opening ceremony in the morning. The same applies to debates for the wings. However, there will be briefings to the media on the progress of the assembly. The summary of the policy speech will be available to the media. This will involve leaders from the wings, vice-presidents, the president and the chairman.
Why is it closed? That’s a good question. After assessing the situation, we decided it would be better if it was closed. There are many factors, but after weighing the pros and cons, the leadership decided on this.
At the media briefing, we will explain the gist of the debates. We will be as transparent as possible. This assembly will be meaningful and festive. We will also hold true to the principle of being frugal. I think the management has done its best to minimise the cost of organising this programme. Being festive doesn’t mean being extravagant.
Umno and Pas, in their desperation, will continue to play up racial sentiments. We won’t.
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