THE Barisan Nasional (BN) 50th anniversary celebration over the recent weekend was supposed to be a show of strength, unity and nostalgia for this embattled coalition.
Instead, it turned into a curious spectacle of speeches where MCA, MIC and UMNO leaders passionately reiterated their commitment to the plight of incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
But was this a genuine display of loyalty to “Bossku” or is there a deeper, more calculated agenda at play?
The speeches – laden with sentimentality and calls for “justice” – raised eyebrows for more reasons than one.
MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong pressed for clarity on an alleged royal addendum suggesting house arrest for Najib while calling it a matter of “BN’s integrity.”
MIC’s Datuk Seri M. Saravanan declared the Indian community’s eternal indebtedness to Najib while urging BN to “do something” to secure his release.
Sparking rifts in unity gov’t?
Of course, UMNO president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in his closing remarks, vowed UMNO’s undying support for Najib.
Doubtlessly, it was an emotional affair. But let’s not forget Najib represents the Achilles’ heel of the unity government.
His case is a powder keg that could blow apart the already fragile alliance between UMNO and Pakatan Harapan (PH), particularly DAP which has the most seats in the unity government.
Could the vocal push for Najib’s freedom by BN leaders, particularly MCA and MIC, be more than it seems?
Najib’s incarceration is deeply polarising. For UMNO, he’s a symbol of loyalty – a leader wronged by a supposedly political conspiracy. For PH, particularly DAP, Najib is everything the party has fought against – corruption, abuse of power and the kleptocracy that cost Malaysia dearly.
With their dwindling relevance and paltry number of parliamentary seats, MCA and MIC are acutely aware that the next general election could render them politically extinct.
What better way to shake things up than to inject some unease into the unity government? By aggressively championing Najib’s freedom, they are essentially forcing PH – especially DAP – to take a stand.
Supporting Najib outright would betray PH’s reformist ideals and alienate their voter base. Opposing Najib’s release, however, risks angering UMNO whose support is critical to the unity government’s survival.
Politically suicidal?
Either way, tensions will escalate with cracks within the coalition potentially widening.
For MCA and MIC, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The unity government’s continued survival means parties like DAP would continue to ride roughshod over MCA and MIC.
But who can blame them? PH has 81 Parliamentary seats, of which 40 are held by the DAP. MCA only has two with one for MIC.
A collapse of the unity government – on the other hand, offers an opportunity for recalibration – a chance for MCA and MIC to stake their claim in a new political configuration.
By harping on Najib’s case, MCA and MIC may be playing a dangerous game of calculated political Russian roulette.
Both are fully aware that Najib’s plight resonates deeply with UMNO’s grassroots but is anathema to PH supporters. It’s the perfect wedge issue – one that could lead to the implosion of the unity government – thus leaving MCA and MIC in a better bargaining position in the ensuing chaos.
Are MCA and MIC exploiting Najib’s plight for their own political survival? Are they Trojan Horses working towards the unity government’s collapse?
Nobody knows for sure. But they had better be betting on the right horse or they do be saddled with more problems than they had bargained for, notably to self-destruct themselves. – Dec 11, 2024
Images credit: Wee Ka Siong/Facebook
