Let us examine several manifestations of the political paradigm of Umno's patronage, as has been reported in the mass media in connection with the party's polls in September.

The Umno supreme council (SC) had reached an agreement that the two top party posts - the presidency and the deputy presidency - were not to be contested to prevent division in the party.

This stance clearly showed that the SC was bowing to the special position of the current patron of Umno - the Abdullah-Najib combination - even though that decision was against the constitutional rights of Umno members and democratic principles.

Even so, that decision was accepted on the premise that it was for the good of the party. Anyone who questioned the fairness of that argument, or proposed that the two top posts be contested, was considered to have bad intentions towards the party.

Consequently, when Tengku Razaleigh (who is popularly known as Ku Li} announced his desire to contest for a top party post if he receives enough nominations to do so, former Umno secretary-general Mohamed Rahmat urged the veteran politician to "think deeply" in order to "become a good statesman" and "not listen to the agitations of others"!

Soon after, Ku Li had decided that he wanted to contest the post of Umno president. It is difficult to consider this strategic move as wise, given the prevailing atmosphere and circumstances which were not conducive for his success.

Retirement

However, Ku Li has displayed his courage in being willing to fight to the death in the Umno polls if he is given the opportunity to do so, or go into retirement in disgrace should he fail to get the support he needs.

Even so, "Pak Lah's men" or his associates could not tolerate Ku Li's desire to contest the presidency via the democratic process. Instead, Ku Li was criticised and scolded. Practically the whole Umno leadership under the patronage of Abdullah raised up to oppose Ku Li.

The patronage politics of Umno requires all parties involved to acknowledge their respective positions in the patron-patronised relationships. The apex of the relationship is that of the prime minister with the deputy prime minister (or Umno president and deputy president]. In Dr Mahathir's era, those who did not follow the "No 2 philosophy" were all sidelined.

When Abdullah's son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin (photo right), an Oxford University graduate and viewed as "a smart young man and visionary who represented the way of thinking of today's Malaysians", was asked about rumours that he may be replacing Hishammuddin as head of Umno Youth, he was quick to clarify that "just as my sifu (teacher), Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was in his time the best of deputies, so too I shall be a good deputy, in the manner which I have been taught to act by my sifu ".

Similarly, when Najib Razak was appointed as Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's deputy, he repeatedly stated his loyalty to Abdullah. And Muhyiddin Yassin, who had once been considered to be a strong contender for the deputy premiership, was the first to proposed that Najib be confirmed as Umno deputy president without contest from anyone once Najib had been appointed deputy prime minister.

Muhyiddin, who had almost been sidelined from the contest for vice-presidency due to the quota system, had to instead support that very system by giving a strange reason - that Umno is a unique party! The president and deputy president of such a unique party were surely unique too, and were averse to being challenged supposedly because it will be embarrassing for the president and deputy president of Umno to be challenged.

New talent

He also pointed out that "political protocol" needed new talent. Umno respected and recognised the services that had been rendered by Umno "old-hands". He advised that "it is not wrong to offer yourself to be nominated, but do not consider the contest as a life-and-death fight".

One old-hand, Muhammad Muhd Taib (left), who has been an Umno vice-president since 1993, opined that "in the Sept 23 party polls, it is most important for the delegates to affirm the team which had brought victory to Umno and BN in the March 21 general election. It would be most strange if a football team changed its line-up after being crowned champions."

That theory proves that there already exists a camp/team headed by Abdullah. By extension, Abdullah's call that camps not to be set up during the party polls is only meant to block other teams from challenging his camp/team.

Possibly realising that his opinions' impact on Abdullah's call for no camps, Muhd Taib then expressed a self-contradictory opinion, saying "I think it is not nice to have one team and then producing some other leaders to form another team. As such, it is good to offer yourselves to be candidates in the polls so that the delegates can select based on individuals, not on the team.'

He added, "If we pick according to the team, then there will be good people in the other team who is not selected, and bad people in the team selected. This is not good, and not right."

One even hotter issue arose when the head of Wanita Umno, Rafidah Aziz, advised former Puteri leaders not to be too passionate in vying for Wanita Umno posts.

Sit quietly

She said, "That would only bring division, and turn the party topsy-turvy. If possible, join Wanita and just sit quietly for at least three years. Then we will appoint you as a committee member. For just one person, we can appoint her."

Rafidah spoke as a patron, as a mother to her children. Puteri members who join Wanita are treated like teenagers. She might have forgotten that they were in reality at least 35 years old, adults who were already mature.

Why must Puteri members who join Wanita be forced to sit quietly for three years? Why are they not allowed to contest, and can only be appointed? That opinion is most shocking in view of Rafidah's intellectual background.

Rafidah, who had promised four years ago to step down this year, now wants to continue to rule the Wanita movement, saying: "When I feel that I must step down, I will step down, no need to be pushed." She is behaving just like Dr Mahathir had behaved, loathing challenges. She wants to rule Wanita without being challenged by anyone.

The afraid-to-contest syndrome seems to have infected the once proud Umno Youth movement too. Youth head Hishammuddin Hussein, whom some had hoped would vie for the Umno vice-presidency, was not brave enough to take the risk. He chose the safe route and offered to defend his current position as Youth head.

One incident which was even more strange was when prior to Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin deciding to offer himself to contest for Youth deputy head, all four prospective contenders for that post, Norza Zakaria, Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, Abdul Hamid Mohd. Nazahar and Azimi Daim, had one by one "withdrawn" to "make way" for him.

When asked by reporters (Wawancara, Mingguan Malaysia , July 11, 2004) whether Umno Youth promoted a "make way" culture, Youth deputy head Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir answered, "Hishammuddin and I have discussed with them [those who withdrew themselves]. We believe in guided democracy which allows us to source leaders who can be advanced."

This proves that the patronage politics mentality, which loathes challenges and is not brave to contest, has infected the whole of Umno most widely. It is hard to believe that new generation leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin, who is so high profile, is just like a "kiasu" person who is only brave enough to step forward after his challengers have "made way" for him!

This is a translation of the original article by LEE BAN CHEN.