“SOME are destroyed by defeat, and some made small and mean by victory. Greatness lives in one who triumphs equally over defeat and victory.” – John Steinbeck

Everyone stood in shock and awe when Barisan Nasional (BN) recently lost its mandate during the May general election (GE14). The world, Malaysians, and even perhaps the then-opposition (despite their rhetoric) never really expected such a result. Even then, it would be safe to say that those most confounded by the results were Umno’s leadership and members. After over 60 years of being in power, they had to deal with the notion that they no longer had the right to rule over the land of the Malays.

As the dust of GE14 settles, it is now time to begin an evaluation of the direction that Umno has taken in the wake of the defeat, and what has led it to occupy its present space. By understanding these reasons we might be able – if we were truly honest with ourselves – to chart an even better course for the venerable party’s future.

The key to all this lies in the raison d’etre behind the Perikatan coalition, the precursor to the coalition we now know as BN. BN was, in effect, modeled after Perikatan’s original objectives that were deeply rooted in nationalist ideology: a political and social system that advocated national independence and the precedence of the nation’s interest over that of any single community or person. In the 1959 general elections (the first after Malaysia’s independence), the Perikatan coalition secured 74 out of 104 seats in Parliament. This is an enduring testament to the potency of Perikatan’s brand of nationalism.

However, in the aftermath the race riots of 1969, things changed. The politics of Malaysia – and Perikatan was not spared – took on a more race- and religion-centric face. Nationalism, while it remained important, began to lose ground. When Perikatan was formally replaced by BN in 1973, little had changed. Through the years, with the dark memories of 1969 still fresh in Umno’s psyche, the party came to believe that it, to survive, had to become more chauvinistic than DAP and – thanks to Anwar Ibrahim – more Islamist than PAS of the 90s.

As political parties from both sides of the divide secretly wrestled with their race- and religion-centric demons, the pragmatic nationalist policies introduced by Perikatan (and defended by BN) had somehow miraculously remained in place.

Regardless of whether or not the population was thankful, Perikatan and BN’s nationalist policies continued to work their magic. More privately held wealth had been created at a rate the country had never seen before. Further, the tax dollars generated by the newfound wealth buoyed the Malaysian economy and made it into one of the richest countries in the region at the time.

Sadly, somewhere along the line, BN must have blinked and missed the changes brewing throughout the fabric of Malaysian society. Umno (along with BN) had banked on the idea that the creation of wealth would necessarily garner the support of a grateful population – support that it naturally needed to stay power. But instead, it had created a cadre of voters who were better informed, and more discerning and sophisticated than the likes of which Malaysia had ever seen – liberal voters who were opposed to rightist ideas.

When the ball finally dropped in May 2018, Umno was caught with its proverbial pants down. It had a tough time grappling with the perceived betrayal of an ungrateful nation, one that had forgotten the party’s many contributions (both social and economic) since independence. So, where did Umno go in the aftermath of GE14? Feeling betrayed and abandoned, Umno fell back even deeper into the cocoon of comfort it had known pre-GE14: the comfort of racial and religious politics.

To make matters worse, the vocal rightist elements within the party began screaming the message of fear at every opportunity. This message of fear underscored the impending demise of the Malays as a race and Islam as a religion at the hands of the liberals. So loud are the cries of this faction that it is mistaken by all and sundry to be the new face of Umno when, in fact, it is far removed from the founding principles of Perikatan (and later BN) as any idea could possibly be. Unchecked and untreated, this new face of Umno will only serve to further alienate the party from the hearts and minds of the electorate.

Ironically, Umno (and by association, BN) is the victim of its own success. Though its founding principles of nationalism created policies that generated tremendous wealth for the populace, those very same policies also gave rise to an electorate that knew not only what it wanted, but also how to get it. Thus, despite the perceived betrayal, the feelings of frustration and allegations of ingratitude, Umno must find the strength to stop itself from crawling back into its cocoon of comfort where racial and religious sentiments thrive.

Umno needs to dig deep and come full circle. It must understand that a stance built on race- and religion-centric views will never win over the electorate, at least, not here in Malaysia. Instead, it is the nation-building and nationalist stance of its forefathers that will do this. To find true victory in the defeat of GE14, Umno must now find the strength not only to rediscover its nationalist credo but also to live it like never before. – August 10, 2018.

* Zainal Rafique is the Umno Bukit Bintang division chief.

* 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.