Umno will face further division if members continue to quarrel
SHAH ALAM - The open criticism and harsh statements made by Johor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed against other leaders of the party may create a bigger crisis of division in Umno.
Universiti Malaya (UM) political analyst Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said Umno was also on the brink of collapse if the feuds and disputes between its leaders were not stopped immediately.
“For me, Nur Jazlan’s actions seem to confirm or illustrate that Umno is dealing with internal problems and that there are two dominant groups in the party – Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s camp and the president’s camp.
“So whatever form of criticism and open conflict among party leaders, whether through social media or mainstream media cannot be done to restore Umno which suffered a severe defeat in the last 15th General Election (GE15),” he said when contacted by Sinar Daily on Wednesday.
He said this when asked to comment on Nur Jazlan’s action who recently criticised the party leaders who were not aligned with Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi through his social media.
Tawfik asserted that the bickering among the party’s leaders would affect the leaders’ focus on serving the people, which would erode people’s confidence in the party.
“As the top leaders of Umno, they should try to restore the party, confidence of the people and play an effective role so that Barisan Nasional can create stability in the government.
“This is actually the duty of Umno leaders instead of fighting with each other to the point of ruining the party,” he explained.
He said that open criticism and harsh statements to fellow Umno leaders should not occur since the party has its own channel to discuss any issues, problems and matters that arise.
“Any problem can be discussed either at the level of the State Liaison Body, the Supreme Working Council (MKT) or if it involves a policy issue, it can be discussed in the Umno General Assembly (AGM),” he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) political analyst Dr Md Shukri Shuib said Umno’s leadership needed to practice the nature of professional democracy which was to celebrate the diversity of views within the party.
“We have to remember that Umno is a party that supports democracy. Umno, together with its alliance, fought to demand a new, independent nation,
“So, when independence is achieved, we adopt the ideology of democracy and when we use that as an element of the state.
“This should be the same concept used in the party but it’s just that today’s democracy needs to be nurtured from a professional perspective.
“There is no problem in reprimanding each other, but don’t lead to an anarchist nature that wants to show that Umno is not united,” he said.
Shukri, who is also the Professional Democracy Association (ProDem) president, explained that differences of opinion needed to be aired openly so that the people did not see the matter as if it created internal enmity.
“So if a few leaders intend to make remarks, wanting to be sensationalised or used as a platform to gain popularity, I think it should be stopped because the nature of hostility in the party will not take the leader anywhere.
“As the President of ProDem, I hope that the element of professional democracy can be strengthened in all political parties in our country,” he stressed.
