How to win friends and influence people

In his speech at the breaking of fast in Bukit Antarabangsa yesterday, the Prime Minister spoke of the need to win back the hearts of urban dwellers. He talked about curbing corruption, reducing crime and providing better facilities like urban transport to the people. He also acknowledged past mistakes and had the rare humility and courage to identify the weaknesses in his party. It was, in short, the speech of a leader.

In contrast, a day earlier the Deputy Prime Minister spoke of Muslims needing to be ever vigilant as those insulting Islam were getting increasingly brazen. When referring to a three-year-old video clip showing a Muslim woman celebrating Hari Raya with her dogs, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned that “the callousness of some towards Islam and Muslim sensitivities could spark disharmony.” He then baited Muslims by asking, “Is this a manifestation of the assumption that we (the Muslims) are weak, and that they (the non-Muslims) can walk all over us? Or that we are afraid to react when they insult the sanctity of Islam?”

Leaders must be guided by reason and facts. Especially in this day and age of the Internet and YouTube, we will come across recordings of statements or conduct which are reflective of the different kinds of human beings who live in Malaysia. These statements are not meant to insult anyone, let alone a religion. UMNO leaders must realise that there is no need to make a quantum leap in interpretation and start a religious war over a relatively small matter that would only bother the smallest of minds.

When I was young there were Malay civil servants and even Malay Rulers who kept dogs as pets. If YouTube had been around then, many people would have seen how these owners caressed and even bathed their dogs with loving care. Would the Deputy Prime Minister have dared say that they were insulting Islam?

When he alleges that many non-Muslims are insulting Islam, he must give us the statistics to back such a claim. He must define what constitutes “insulting” Islam; otherwise, every action he disapproves of can be construed as a huge political attack on Islam. I know many Muslims like to buy lottery tickets, although the religious authorities think they have made all Muslims comply with their ban against participating in such activities.

Suppose someone were to post a YouTube video showing these wayward Muslims coming out of the Big Sweep shops—would the Deputy Prime Minister also say that people out there (in his mind it would be the non-Muslims of course) were insulting Islam?

UMNO must have leaders who use reason, not wild emotions. At the moment, every voice of reason we hear threatens to be drowned out by others who seem to have abandoned logic and measured thinking altogether. If the Prime Minister wants to win back urban voters, he must have a new deputy who is more sophisticated.

Urban voters like to hear consistent messages from their leaders.  Urban voters want the Prime Minister and his deputy singing the same tune.  In fact, it’s unprecedented that in this great country, the Deputy Prime Minister always seems to sing a different tune from his boss.

He has forgotten that he is in the Cabinet because the Prime Minister selected him. It is clearly time for UMNO to choose one from the other. The two men of different political beliefs and styles of leadership must come head-to-head for the sake of urban voters. Living together when there is no longer any love is painful not just for the parties concerned, but for the people.

Who could be a good party deputy to Dato’ Sri Najib? Datuk Seri Hishamnuddin Hussein is one possible candidate, but he is not colourful enough to push Muhyiddin out. Hishammuddin might also not want to risk everything on a single roll of the dice. Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman would come under “the reasonable man” category but he will not be strong enough to garner support after losing to Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah in GE13.

I like Tan Sri Isa Samad, who is popular, likable and a veteran despite being still quite young. He has nothing to lose but a lot to gain if he were to try. He could be a good Deputy President for UMNO. Of course, he was found guilty of money politics but that is par for the course in that party, and it shouldn’t shape perception of him as being any less desirable as a candidate for the post. When you are found guilty of money politics in UMNO it means that you are enough of a threat to make some higher-ups want to slow you down. No moral stigma is attached to you at all.

What I like about Isa is that he is not a demagogue and will not start a civil war. Najib should encourage him to go for the party post of Deputy President and give Muhyiddin a run. Najib could always appoint someone else as Deputy Prime Minister if necessary. Then we can see a good fight, as I am sure there are others like Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who think he  should be Deputy President of UMNO.

Khairy Jamaluddin is the preferred choice for  me as Deputy President and would make a good Deputy Prime Minister to Najib. He is young and a liberal (at least by UMNO standards). He has the resources to go for the party’s second highest spot, and his victory would signal to the world that UMNO is a progressive party and that Najib is trying to bring about change by introducing a young leader to help helm the nation.

Although Khairy thinks he is God’s gift to Malaysia, he is, in fact, a capable leader and more importantly, a reasonable man—a rare thing indeed in UMNO. Since Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir is going for one of the vice-president posts, it would be remiss of Khairy not to go above him. Sons ( or son in law) of former prime ministers always do well in a feudal  political party.

We could say it’s their business to decide which of these men they want as leaders, except that if the demagogues win the day the country will be in even greater peril than it already is.

Although many Opposition leaders say UMNO will not be governing the country soon, I am not so sure. The machinery is strong and in the eyes of many voters the Government is synonymous with the party. If they are to continue to rule, then we might as well hope that they get enough decent leaders to lead.

Whatever they decide to do; one thing is sure; they will not win back the urban voters unless they use the proven and tested formula of how to win friends and influence people!

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.