Umno Annual General Assembly (Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan)

The Umno Annual General Assembly (Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan) is normally considered the most important political event in Malaysia, especially in a year when there is a party leadership election.

Analysts would usually use the event as a barometer to detect and measure the political pulse of the nation.

The “perhimpunan” for 2007 was held in early November, but this is not an election year for Umno.

It is only at an Umno AGA that such political initiatives could be gleaned, as it was the political antics and gestures of the Umno leaders that have caused the disaffection in the first place – such as Khairy Jamaluddin’s arrogant attacks of non-Malay coalition partner parties, Hishamuddin’s menacing draw of the crooked dagger, and Mohd Ali Rustam’s unceremonious “dismissal” of the PPP.

In a political atmosphere increasingly characterised by intense racist discourse, Umno’s inevitable shrill voice to enhance its own racist posture – in order to retain its own traditional racist constituency and support – cannot possible help to endear Umno to those on the other side of the racist divide.

At AGA Umno leaders and delegates, if at all, made only slight adjustments to its usual and normal racist posturing. The kris is not menacingly drawn this year but just arrogantly and defiantly paraded into the assembly.

The party leaders did not offer any apology for the party’s racist approach and posturing, but simply reminded others that the Malays (read Umno) have a right to defend their rights. Other delegates went as far to “politely” tell others to move to other countries (such as Singapore) if they are unhappy with whatever they get here.

The more “intellectually inclined” among the party leaders (such as Khairy) continued to defend Umno’s pro-Malay posturing by arguing that they are not meant to deprive non-Malays of their rights. Umno policies, they argue, in the end would benefit everyone, including non-Malays.

To Umno, within the larger racist politics scheme of things, retaining the support of its racist Malay constituency is much more important than trying to win the support of the non-Malays for its non-Malay partner parties within the BN.

Basing on the same logic that Khairy used to warn Malays about non-Malay parties making “ridiculous demands” should Umno become weak through internal strife and disunity, a weak non-Malay component of the BN can also mean strength for Umno.

Not only can non-Malay demands be confined and contained, but indeed they can easily be rejected or ignored as “opposition” demands are normally treated in this country. The non-Malay “partners” within the BN, too, would lose much of their leverage against the might of Umno.

Excerpts from suara rakyat