DEFIANT UMNO Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has a hidden talent that can be harnessed to attract Malay votes in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election – his positioning as a “Malay nationalist hero” in the “Allah” socks issue.
On that note, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) political science lecturer Prof Dr Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid who mooted the idea reckoned that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should not waste the opportunity to tap the Merlimau state assemblyman’s “serious potential”.
“Not only during the by-election, I believe Akmal’s popularity should be harnessed in the long term in the unity government’s administration,” he told Malaysiakini.
For the uninitiated, the KKB seat fell vacant following the demise of its incumbent Lee Kee Hiong from ovarian cancer on March 21. The Election Commission (EC) has since fixed May 11 (Saturday) as polling day with nomination day slated for April 27 (Saturday).
In expressing his gratitude for the kind thoughts of Ahmad Fauzi, the Russia-trained medical doctor admitted that he does not have any specific formula to offer except for some principles that form the basis of his political struggle.
“I don’t have a formula to give because I’m not the king of formulas but I do have principles that need to be defended, namely Islam, the Malay race and the Malay rulers,” he penned in a recent Facebook post.
“Don’t ever harp on the sensitivity of the Malays, ie by touching on Islam, the Malay race and Malay rulers. The reason is because all these while, the Malays are never racist but were only defending their rights without robbing the rights of other races.”
Added the Melaka state executive councillor in-charge of rural development, agriculture and food security:
“We can be friends and be understanding with anyone but once these three main principles are challenged, the Malays will not remain silent that even Dr Akmal Saleh is unable to attract their votes.”
Interestingly, not every political observer thinks highly of the master mind behind the KK Super Mart blanket boycott campaign.
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) political analyst Dr Mohd Azmir Mohd Nizah opined that if Akmal were to campaign for DAP in KKB, it would affect his reputation as a champion of the Malay cause.
This is because Akmal is often seen as going against the aspirations of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government as he champions the UMNO-Malay narrative.
Meanwhile, Anis Sina, an analyst from independent firm O2, opined that Akmal’s impact on the by-election would depend on the candidate the coalition government fields.
“If the candidate is from PH, especially DAP, it would be challenging for Akmal to campaign for Malay votes,” she told Malaysiakini. “However, if the government fields a Malay candidate, especially from UMNO, Akmal’s presence could provide a much-needed boost.” – April 17, 2024
Main image credit: Akmal Saleh Facebook/Election Commission (EC)
