Shahrizat gets the wing's backing, but is it enough?
Before Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil took the stage at the wing’s annual general assembly (AGM) this morning, she was surrounded by uncertainties following the series of exposes by the opposition on the issue of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC).
Before Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil took the stage at the wing’s annual general assembly (AGM) this morning, she was surrounded by uncertainties following the series of exposes by the opposition on the issue of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC).
However when Shahrizat (
right in photo
) turned to aggressive mode and trained her fire on PKR leaders who have been harping on the issue in the past month, everyone following the meeting at Putra World Trade Centre had no doubt that she still commands the strong support of the wing.
Loud cheers and applause from the floor never stopped while Shahrizat chided her critics. The Malay patriotic song ‘Inilah Barisan Kita’ was sung impromptu immediately after Shahrizat finished her speech. The song is commonly sung by soldiers before entering the battlefield.
From the emotional response of the delegates, it was evident that her fiery rhetoric had managed to convince them that the opposition’s allegations - targeted at her and her husband - were aimed to destroy the wing as a whole.
It is no longer an attack on her or her family but to all the 1.3 million Umno Wanita members, who are known to be Umno’s most important election machinery in any election.
Expressions of support to Shahrizat never stopped throughout the debate session that followed.
Almost all delegates taking part in the debate pledged their support and called on others to do so.
“Don't worry, Penang Umno Wanita will always be with you in any situation,” said Ekafarlina Saparuddin, a delegate representing Penang Wanita, before she dedicated a poem to Shahrizat.
A delegate from Perlis, Mastika Junaidah Hussin, echoed the call by saying: “Perlis Wanita will give our undivided support to the president... Let’s face the challenge together”.
These delegates were also smart enough to save Shahrizat from embarrassment. Not a single mention of “NFC” or the names of PKR leaders who made the allegations was heard when delegates vowed their backing.
During her winding-up speech, Shahrizat decided to depart from the NFC chapter, putting her focus on the next general election.
Crying the Iban battle cry of “ agi idup agi ngelaban ” (fight as long as I live), she urged members to “struggle until the last drop of blood”.
“If the fortress of Malacca had been destroyed, Wanita will defend Putrajaya,” said Shahrizat before leading all delegates to chant “long live Wanita, long live Umno, long live BN”.
Survival not guaranteed
However, support within the party does not equal to support of the voters, and it may not guarantee Shahrizat’s survival in the next general election which is expected to be called in the coming months.
To date, the explanations from NFC and government on the allegations are far from convincing, and Shahrizat has not shed any light either, aside from calling her opponents’ arguments slanders and insults.
For Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is trumpeting about “transformation” and “integrity” and “winnable candidates”, a tainted Wanita chief may be too much of a burden in a live-or-die election.
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