OVER the past two weeks, the open airing of grouses among PAS, Umno and Bersatu have reached near boiling point.

A total of 189 out 191 Umno divisions have openly rejected Bersatu, up from 143 just a couple of days ago.

Umno leaders pushing for a continuation of present arrangement with PAS and Bersatu find their voices increasingly drowned – the likes of Perlis’ Shahidan Kassim and Annuar Musa, whose division is one of just two still endorsing the cooperation for the next general election.

Former Umno president Najib Razak prefers to work with PAS without Bersatu, while others like former Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Said choose to work alone.

All three schools of thought have their followers, with their own reasoning, but there is a common thread felt by most of the Umno rank and file.

Umno is tired of being bullied.

Unlike the usually more docile and subservient PAS, Bersatu has made clear who runs the show from the get-go of their alliance.

Holding the keys to the prime minister’s office, Bersatu also had the support of not only their original members from Umno, but also was bolstered by 10 new, mostly PKR crossovers.

Armed with 36 MPs, Bersatu’s attempt to dictate terms to a PAS would be understandable, as a party half its representation. But Barisan Nasional (BN) controls 60 seats, nearly double Bersatu’s number.

Umno’s beef with Bersatu started from the latter’s inception and mission, that is to dethrone Umno.

To make matters worse, not only is Bersatu seen by many in Umno not as a competitor within the same political space, but as a usurper of Umno’s traditional role as leader of the ruling pact.

Bersatu also was strengthened mainly by crossovers from both elected representatives and leaders from Umno, continuously from its inception, through the previous general elections, to the “Sheraton move” and most recently, as attempting to take over “occupied” seats permanently.

It is much less confrontational with PAS, whose focus on the east coast and Malay heartland does not put it in a real head-to-head with Umno or Bersatu.

PAS appears satisfied with their share in the government cake, perhaps needing to worry more about reassuring their own voter base, especially on its perceived failure on a plethora of issues, including the late firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim, hudud, banning alcohol and beauty contests and other previously firebrand rhetoric wielded by the conservative party.

Still, perhaps due to the dissatisfactions at the national level, or the failure of PAS to placate Umno in the East Coast, a sizeable number of Umno leaders have called for the party to go at it alone in PAS-held Terengganu and Kelantan.

To request a ceasefire and demand of loyalty now would be quite unfair to Umno.

Since the infamous “Sheraton move”, there have been 46 changes of allegiance at federal level and many more at state. In Johor, for instance, 12 switches were enough to bring down the state government, while the Selangor government remains strong with 11.

It is natural for the undisputed, unchallenged kingpin of BN and founding member of Perikatan to want to go back to its glory days, as recent as just three years ago.

With nothing more than a few appointments by a select group of Umno leaders, the grassroots by and large don’t yet feel the benefit of being part of a government, while struggling to adjust to its role as second fiddle to a new “big” but much “younger” brother.

Not every party, especially not those competing in the same electoral space, would be excited to see a return of Umno’s golden days.

This must all be very disappointing to those who had hoped to see sincere unity among the Malay parties, an idea sold and bought hook, line and sinker by an enthusiastic rakyat; trusting this would be a better choice than an unstable government where DAP “called the shots”.

While it is clear now that Bersatu is, and still intends to, it is not as straightforward if their allies will permit them to, going into the next general election. – January 6, 2021.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.