INTERVIEW Saifuddin Abdullah is seen as a rising star in Umno but the Deputy Higher Education Minister, and one-time youth leader and university basketball coach from Pahang, describes himself as a reluctant politician.

Born near Mentakab in the Temerloh district he had his secondary education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and then Universiti Malaya.

While studying Form Six at MCKK, he became the assistant secretary of the Islamic Union in Kuala Kangsar, and he continued to be active on and off campus with the National Association of Malaysian Muslim Students (PKPIM) and was UM's Bahasa Melayu Association president for two terms.

NONE "I was also active in Abim (an Islamic organisation formed by former PAS president Fadzil Noor and Anwar Ibrahim ( right ) and I was also active with the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC), where I became its secretary-general for four terms and then I joined the Youth Academy," he said.

Saifuddin said he joined Umno after leaving UM in 1985 and was only active early in 2000 and soon became a member of the Temerloh Umno division committee.

Presently he is the Temerloh Umno deputy division chief.

I did not join Umno because of Anwar

Quizzed whether he had joined Umno because of Anwar, who joined the Malay nationalist party in 1982, Saifuddin said when Anwar contested in his first election, he was not a supporter.

"I was actively campaigning for PAS and (former PAS president) Fadzil Noor, not Umno. Hence, it is not true I joined Umno because of Anwar. When he contested in Permatang Pauh, I was a student and I did not campaign for him.

He said his decision to join Umno because he wanted to continue on with his idealistic principles in his struggle.

"I knew I would face problems with my ideals and I was only active in early 2000 where I started speaking at the Umno General Assembly.

NONE "There in the division I ascended to become information chief and am presently deputy division chief," said the party Supreme Council member.

In explaining his sudden transformation from being a youth leader to being actively involved at the highest reaches in Umno, he explained that he still considers himself a "reluctant politician" and if given a choice he would prefer to being active in civil society rather than politics.

"I decided to be actively involved in politics at a certain level because I was president of the MYC and realised if you want to be involved in the decision making process, you have to be in politics.

"In Malaysia the culture in decision making still does not give roles to civil society unlike in Europe or Northern America.

"There it might not have been necessary for me to get involved in politics to fight for what I believe, as the role of civil society organisations is recognised there.

"I think I have done what was humanly possible as a civil society leader and now it is time I continue it in the political arena."

He said his background and his active role in MYC prepared him to build relations closely with Malays, non-Malays and non-Muslims and leading him to being seen as ‘liberal' compared to other Umno leaders.

"Islam, as in all religions, requires that we be nice to everyone. Islam also taught me to respect differing opinions. Hence, I feel comfortable in interacting with anyone. As to the liberal thinking, I think that it does not aptly describe me as I think I possess progressive political thinking," he said.

"It's built upon Islamic beliefs and complemented by a culture of continuous learning and understanding the building of civilisations.

I say that because I feel civilisations are living entities and not archaic structures".

Political survival

Saifuddin said he reads a lot of literature but also liked Stephen Covey's "7 habits of highly effective people' which has influenced him and described that what Covey had emphasised is congruent with Islamic principles, despite the author being a staunch Roman Catholic.

NONE "I believe on giving new approaches and viewing things differently. I choose to give a new interpretation to things that already exist. People might describe me as liberal because of that," he said.

When asked whether such liberal approach would result in him to last in Umno or affect his political survival in a party known to be racial-centric, Saifuddin laughed it off saying he was a reluctant politician.

"I do not think much about survival in politics. Secondly, I do not have any political strategy as long as I feel what I do is right. If it is right, it will finally succeed. If it does not, we must try again and strive to make it successful.

"That is my political strategy," he said in ending the interview.

 

THE SAIFUDDIN ABDULLAH INTERVIEW

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