I 1 The UMNO Baru General Assembly: ------~------ ~----~------ READING BETWEEN THE LINES Wawasan Team fades, PAS draws flak, Rahim scandal ignored At the UMNO Baru General Assembly held on 18-20 November, the message rang loud and clear - we are one, big, happy family. It was, after all, an assembly where delegates were hypnotised by the dizzying scent of the general election hanging in the air - a time to close ranks and project a sense of greatness. But when the assembly drew to a close and the lights dimmed, questions descended on the carpeted floors of the PWTC and started dancing in rhythmic progression: What had happened to the much-vaunted Wawasan Team? Were delegates gagged on the Rahim issue? Is Mahathir's position secure? How close are Anwar and Daim? Why was PAS singled out for systematic pounding? NNP Is Mahathir's position secure? lifts the carpet in search of clues ... MNO Baru certainly came across as one big, happy and Uunited family at it<; recent General Assembly. This is, after all, not a party election year where political ambitions are too much at stake to think about being united. Hence, it is usually the time for UMNO Baru leaders to sit back and attempt to be profound abput Malay society, its problems and future. We were entertained to endless footage and photographs of the UMNO Baru leadership in a variety of meaningful poses. Dr Mahathir The Assembly: Issues were relevant and important to Malaysian society. Mohamad peering through a pair of binoculars, Wanita leaders looking adoringly at Anwar Ibrahim, generous doses of English literature (never mind, if it was read all wrong), Mahathir and his wife shop­ ping, Anwar and Daim Zainuddin sharing a cosy chat and so on. And of course, lots of laughter, back-slapping and jokes (never mind too, if they were somewhat banal and stale). Overall, there was a certain air of benevolence about the assembly, which was as usual, a ._CD:~ I major media event. I WAWASAN TEAM DISCREDITED Dr Mahathir and his deputy were naturally comfortable But, a<s the a%embly drew to a close, surely one question on most dirt. This may be well and good for people's lips must have been what the "happy family" front that UMNO has happened to the Wawasan Baru Youth is so anxious to project (Vision) Team whom Anwar had with the general election around the presented as his working mates in corner. But it certainly speaks poorly finishing off Ghafar Baba and his of a Youth wing which is supposed team of losers? It seems to have to symbolise the idealism and con­ melted away like butter in the heat. viction of the next generation of All those lofty hopes and plans that UMNO Baru leaders. they had boasted as their platform to In fact, it lost much credibility power a year ago was clearly big­ when it chose the notorious Rahim talk by men of limited substance. as its leader. Whatever credibility it Yet, not a soul dared to a<;k what The Rahim issue was avoided had left has since been further under­ had become of these Wawasan-ers. mined now that it'S former leader has Neither wa<; the Rahim Tamby Chik been, and still is, making the head­ scandal, which had blown like a girlfriend wa<; not to be raised or lines in the worst possible ways. typhoon through UMNO Baru discussed at all. It was as though Youth, raised during the Youth As­ Rahim, whom they had so enthusias­ A LOUD SILENCE sembly. Apparently, a suitable tically endorsed a<> their chief just a In fact, the silence maintained cowed Nazri Aziz, the acting chair­ year ago, did not exist. over the Rahim scandal made the man, had sent word out that the issue As a result, the scandal was gravity of the issue even more glar­ of Rahim and his 15-year-old swept under the carpet like a pile of ing than if it had been allowed to be A/iran Monthly 1994:~4 (10) Page 3 acting chairman Nazri handled the surefire signs of the syndrome is\ue, one can only conclude that the known as the we-hate-each-others'­ man is only good enough as an inter­ guts-but-we-ha ve-to-put-up-a­ im chief good-front. His emotional way of handHng However, the same could not be the issue, blowing hot one moment said of Anwar and Daim. In that and cold the next, shows a somewhat sense, the UMNO Baru-connected immature man with questionable media ought to be commended for principles. He came out of the tssue the way they tried to patch up the looking less like a man and more like patchy relationship between the two a pushmer. Man} say he was acting men by publishing images of the two at the behest ol Anwar, but it is chatting cosily over a cuppa or shar­ doubtful whether Anwar had ex­ ing a side-splitting joke. The hos­ pected him to act like a bull in a china Tok Mat overstayed? tilities, though suppressed, between shop. the two powerful UMNO Baru None of the Wawa.san Team figures goes to '>how that the UMNO stood by Rahim in his darkest hour. seemed to be an unspoken under­ Baru cake is clearly insufficient to Neither were they morally fortified standmg that the party pre<,ident was whet the appetites of their sup­ enough to condemn him. They mere­ not to be offended or even criticised. porters. ly maintained a disgraceful silence Hence, lavish pmise and blatant One positive aspect of this year's or oftered non-committal comments adulation was heaped on him, so assembly was the marked absence of about the i'>sue. Anwar, has some­ much so, that he found himself chauvinistic chest-beating that has how managed to remain above the protesting, m his winding-up speech, often marred past gatherings. There whirling dirt, but then he has others that he preferred support to praise. It wa'i less of the "us" against "them" to do the dirty work for him. wa'> qUJte clCJ.r that the man intend., attitude and talk. In fact, many One Wawasan-er, popularly to be around for a while more. delegates ought to be congratulated known as "Mat Tyson" and who al­ for bringing up issues that were of legedly shared much in common SUPER .MAHATHIR relevance and importance to a large with Rahim in terms of after-hours Mahathir was aptly segment of Malaysian society. hobbies, was most um.. illing to photographed playfully tle;Jting his touch the issue, not even with a 10- muscles but really, it was no play­ PAS, THE SCAPEGOAT foot pole. Another Wawasan-er was for the moment at least For there in But while they did not beat the too bogged down with rumours link­ the wings was Anwar, confident, ethnic drum, they certainly beat the ing him to a singer to take to the suave and ready. Once again, Anwar daylights out of PAS, verbally, of moml stage. displayed hts oratory skills to the course. PAS was the whipping boy And embarrassingly so. fullest advantage, charming both for many of those who rushed for the Mahathir contmued to defend men and women with hi-. wit and microphone. The opposition party Rahim in his own way. Hkening command over the Malay language. was even threatened with a name­ Brutus (whom Nazri had quoted) to Even Mahath.ir, who spoke last, change Apparently, UMNO Baru, the lust that lies in the heart'> of men. admitted that he would be unable to thinks that PAS has no right "to use The Prime Minister evidently chose match the speaking style of his Num­ the name Islam and wants the word to read Shakespeare in an "inde­ ber Two. One wonders whether he stripped from the party name. pendent way" for as any fell a little shiver of disquiet over the It claims that the opposition's Shakespeare student would tell you. way his Number Two had the useoflslam in its title ha-; created the Brutus was indeed a noble man. delegates in the palm of his hand. impression of a party that is "holier And il there is a Brutus in all of It is difficult though to tell ifthere than thou". Such a view, apart from us, as alleged hy the party president, is indeed a rift between Mahathir and its appalling lack of democmcy, is then there must also have been quite Anwar a-; alleged by the foreign also ironic. UMNO Ba.ru, without a few Caesars present in the Putra media (as for the home media, it's any such attachment to its name, has World Trade Centre that weekend. mission so far has been to deny any on many occa<>ions in the past shown Caesar, after all, a<;pired to be such thing). Both men seemed no difficulty in adopting a similar Emperor of Rome. naturally comfortable with each holter-than-thou attitude towards There is little doubt, going by the other. For one thing there was no other groups and individuals. way the a'isembly paid such docile e;Jtaggerated show of chumminess. The party president claims that homage to the president, that no faJ...ey sharing of jokes or over­ PAS, which reflected the element of Mahathu is firmly in control. There friendly hugs, all of wtuch are hostility towards others, had A/iran Mo111hly 1994:14 (10) Page 4 Kelantan is a thorn in the side ot Mahathir One '>uspects that these UMNO Baru.