opinion

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Onn, one of the most impressive leaders of Umno Youth in 1999, has in recent months, seen his influence being whittled away, and now faces the possibility of losing his grip on Umno Youth.

Observers who attended the Umno Youth annual general assembly in Kuala Lumpur yesterday say while no clear evidence exist to prove this, they acknowledge that it is happening.

Hishammuddin's position is widely viewed as being difficult. If at the beginning he seemed confident, he appears less so now. Hishammuddin has an image problem. He has been steadily losing ground and now commands a reduced support in the movement.

Some claim that there is no clear-cut program for the movement's future. He seems to be a victim of fear in the Umno Youth movement over his political reliability.

There is little doubt about what the movement's members want. Delegates are starting to speak out against what they see as an increasingly serious erosion of the movement's leadership. And their views are bound to have a powerful impact, especially if they manage to translate them into actions. Many have little doubt about who is chiefly to blame.

This latest development indicate the movement's members are reassessing their stand in facing the challenging years ahead. Without a proper course of adjustments, the movement could subvert its influence and interests.

More confrontational

To silence the skeptics, Hishammuddin should embark on the agenda of reform that Umno Youth endorsed. He made a good start by openly responding to all negative labels the media had enthusiastically pinned on him, when he announced the new Umno Youth exco lineup.

And he should now turn his attention squarely on the movement. Hishammuddin needs to muster the political courage and vision to tackle various issues facing the party now. Only by doing so will he be able to arrest his decline and maintain his position as the leading force in Umno Youth.

Whether or not Hishammuddin embarks on such a course, he must focus on the movement if he wants to broaden its popular support. It would be a pity indeed if Hishammuddin, having taken decisive steps in the right direction, now becomes sidetracked by the problems of the moment.

Hishammuddin should also adopt a more confrontational approach. Confrontational, rather than conciliatory behaviour, is likely to lead to improvement in the movement. If the members are able to feel more secure with the current Umno Youth leadership, it is more likely to ease tension.

All this can finally help the curtain to fall on members' dissatisfaction. Says an observer, "A lot depends on Hishammuddin - whether he wants to cooperate and push for what members want."

The movement has to find a way of getting its momentum back. What at stake is the future leadership of Umno. Thus Umno Youth leaders would have to start now in formulating their political platforms. Not only for the purpose of winning seats in the general elections but also for the sake of Umno in the next few years.

Any philosophy of struggle for Umno Youth leaders must go beyond the simplistic cry of Hidup Melayu . The question would be how to ensure Hidup Melayu .

Back to Earth

The movement needs politicians with experience and firm networks to accomplish the task put before them. And members need to have a complete, accurate and up-to-date data, only then can they weigh the pros and cons properly.

History gives us a basis for making predictions about contemporary events. Nothing appears on the present surface that has not got its roots deep in the past, and for this reason, genuine historical study is an indispensable part of political development.

In this respect, the former generations of Umno Youth leaders - Saadon Zubir, Jaafar Albar, Harun Idris and Senu Abdul Rahman - have undeniable political abilities. There is no one now who is as politically savvy and respected as they were.

If Umno Youth is to inspire young people to support and vote for the movement, it has to relearn from history and recreate a vision of what can be done to make it a highly respected political movement.

The movement's leaders must come back down to earth. They should reveal their vision for the 21st century and give members positive reasons to continue supporting them. To the practical politician, what really matters in an election is the counting of votes.

NASH RAHMAN is former chief news editor of Berita Harian , former editor of the now defunct daily Watan and former associate editor of The Sun .