Letter to editor
DATUK Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh – the UMNO Youth head and defender of all things Malay – have apparently emerged a signage expert.
Recently, Akmal found himself in hot water after moaning about the lack of Malay-language signs at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. According to him, the mall’s failure to use Bahasa Melayu prominently was an insult to the entire Malay community.
Never mind that the real concerns for most Malays are things like rising living costs, unemployment and housing.
But let’s give Akmal some credit. This episode has achieved one thing: it reminded us how out of touch UMNO is.
Screaming won’t help
As a result of DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) over-reacting by penalising businesses with non-Malay language signboards, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing reportedly remarked that tourists have been asking if Malaysia is “racist” and “religiously extreme.
As expected, Akmal couldn’t emotionally handle this statement and lashed out at Tiong in rage.
Of course, his perpetual rage over mall signage is just the latest chapter in the UMNO political playbook. But here’s the thing: is Akmal really helping anyone? Or is he just making a lot of noise while holding both himself and his party back?
Akmal loves to talk about “ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy) and protecting the Malay community. Sure, that might work for a few people still stuck in the past but the rest of Malaysia and the region is moving forward.
Most Malaysians – especially young Malays – care more about issues like jobs, education and how to afford a house, not constant reminders of who’s in-charge or who’s to blame.
If Akmal wants to help Malays, or even himself, he needs to focus less on signage and more on real solutions. Better schools, more job opportunities and fairer economic policies are a good start.
Reform UMNO or let it die
Let’s not sugarcoat it: UMNO isn’t winning hearts these days. Corruption scandals, backroom deals and internal fighting have turned the party into an international embarrassment, especially among Asian neighbours. And Akmal as the party’s Youth head could actually do something about it – if he wanted to.
He could start by pushing for real reforms within UMNO. That means standing up for meritocracy and transparency. It also means saying no to the corruption and apartheid policies that got the party into this mess in the first place.
Instead, Akmal is busy counting signs in malls. Does he realise that KLCC, Legoland Malaysia, Jalan Petaling and other sites would all fail without the prominent non-Bahasa Malaysia signs?
Make UMNO’s youth wing useful
The youth wing of any political party should be full of fresh ideas and energy. But under Akmal, UMNO’s youth agenda feels more like a recycling bin for old rhetoric. Instead of focusing on the future, Akmal spends his time defending the past.
What if, instead, he championed policies that actually help young Malaysians? Imagine if Akmal pushed for better access to skills training, support for start-ups or affordable housing programmes.
These are the things that young people care about. If he made himself the voice of these issues, he might actually make UMNO’s youth wing relevant again.
‘Finding lost love’
We will leave it to the psychologists to diagnose Akmal’s behaviour but perhaps he doesn’t have enough love in his life. This is one of most likely explanations for why Akmal demands so much of other people’s attention and time – like a child.
Therefore, Malaysians should try to help Akmal find more love in his life – not the artificial love of a social media fan-base but authentic, deep love from real people.
If Akmal keeps going down this angry path, then he risks becoming just another politician who screams a lot but still gets nothing done. In reality, he’s just digging himself – and his party – down into a deeper hole.
So here’s some advice for Akmal: less time caring about signs, more time caring about real people. Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about how loudly you moan – it’s about what you actually accomplish.
Here’s the hard truth: being loud doesn’t make you a leader. Real leadership takes hard work, honesty and the willingness to admit when things need to change.
Of course, that would require Akmal to have enough love so that he can stop chasing news headlines. Can he do it?
Who knows? But if Akmal really wants to help himself, then it’s time to stop screaming and start fixing. After all, you can’t scream your way into progress. – Nov 25, 2024
Corruption Watch
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
