Will guts lead to glory for rebel Umno grassroots leaders?

When news first broke about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pocketing RM2.6 billion into his personal bank account, there was a growing chorus of voices calling for his resignation.

But as months dragged on with no sign of Najib even expressing regret over the issue, much less resigning over it, a frenzy of rumours and theories as to the possible ways a head of state can be forced to step down was unleashed.

The first method and one most commonly practiced in matured democracies was through electorate pressure, where the prime minister steps down voluntarily according to “his conscience”, to quote a political analyst when the issue first cropped up.

By now, even the most hopeless optimist will agree that that ship has sailed.

Another method to unseat a leader in a democracy is via the tabling and passing of a vote of no-confidence by members of parliament.

The fact that the Barisan Nasional coalition holds a majority 132 out of the 220 seats in parliament, coupled with the reality that Malaysia’s fractured opposition couldn’t even band together to agree on the no-confidence motion, means that this option, too, will likely remain only a theory.

But in Malaysia, there is another way – the way of Umno, which is “king” in Malaysian-style democracy.

It’s frustrating that the fate of this country’s leadership must lie in the hands of a party that is not particularly benevolent to the country’s other races, nor has ever had a track record of moderation nor transparency.

But with all other avenues to force a resignation seemingly removed, the only possible way left for a change in leadership is by way of Najib losing support in Umno.

Just a year ago, that possibility may have sounded as realistic as the chances of Malaysia ever winning the FIFA World Cup.

But in the past month, hundreds of Umno branch chiefs from all states including Johor, to Negeri Sembilan to Selangor have openly expressed a loss of confidence in their leader.

The most recent rebellion saw some 20 Umno branch chiefs launching a movement they claim has the support of hundreds of other branches nationwide, with the one aim of forcing Najib to quit.

While it’s easy to dismiss these rebel groups as ragtag disgruntled members, seeing as they are but a drop in the sea of 21,000 Umno branches nationwide, their breaking of ranks indicates an increasing boldness among the grassroots in voicing out against Najib’s administration.

Though most of us are not privy to the political maneuvering within Umno, it is clear that the dissidents must either have a great deal of courage, or are highly confident they have the backing of a large majority of party leaders and members.

And because courage is not an ingredient for political longevity in Umno, we can only assume that there truly is enough trouble for Najib brewing at the grassroots level for this movement to have taken off in such a public manner.

Even if these critics are playing a political game of bluff, their actions plus a growing discontent among the fence-sitters within the party, will likely embolden others with similar grievances within the 3-million-member-strong Umno to stand up and flex their muscle.

Earlier critics of Najib including Umno bigwigs such as sacked former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who successfully used his formidable influence to force the resignation of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009, have all failed to garner enough support to unseat Najib.

The opposition, too, in spite of their relentless media campaigning and dogged persistence, have barely made any gains in the road to Najib's resignation.

And so it is of no small wonder that the hopes of all these Goliaths now rest on the shoulders of these few grassroots leaders, who are looking to spark an uprising of dissent.

It’s left to be seen in coming days if they indeed have the support of many, as they claim, and if that support will translate into open opposition.

That alone will be the deciding factor of whether their guts will snowball to glory or – like those who have gone before them – their movement, too, will be quashed. – November 29, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.