INTERVIEW | It has been exactly one month since Umno’s ignoble defeat in the May 9 polls, and subsequent calls for reform have coincided with the party’s much-delayed internal elections.

Branch-level elections are being held now and will end tomorrow, the election for the heads of Umno wings will be on June 23, and the election for top party’s posts and supreme council members will be on June 30.

This time, all positions are up for grabs. Not only will members be determining the future of their 72-year-old party, but also the landscape of the country’s opposition politics as a whole.

For Federal Territories Umno Youth chief Razlan Rafii, the first thing on the agenda is to reform the party from within by installing clean, credible leaders through a transparent electoral process.

This unlike in the last elections in 2013, when its youth candidates were not allowed to campaign openly for support.

“Leaders need to be acceptable to the rakyat out there as we are dealing with a perception war,” he told Malaysiakini in a recent interview.

He said the party will also need to address long-standing issues that contributed to its GE14 defeat, including its “culture of silence” over controversial issues, the ignoring of grassroots members' voices and the 'warlord' culture. 

Razlan also stressed the need to improve the quality of its leaders and MPs to better represent the party’s struggle.

“Umno has never been wrong on the basis of its struggle, but it’s just that our leaders need to be more polished when answering issues and dealing with facts.

“To be a good opposition is to be an opposition that knows how to use its voice… is critical and is good at influencing (people).

“We must be brave in going forward to voice out the wants of the people. Umno needs to be able to clearly articulate its views in a way that is beneficial for the people,” he elaborated.

Silence only temporary

Thus far, however, Umno and BN MPs have largely stayed out of the limelight, while Pakatan Harapan has taken centre stage by introducing sweeping reforms to the country’s institutions in the weeks following its electoral victory.

Razlan regretted his party's catatonia, but said he was confident Umno would become a more effective opposition party once Parliament convened on July 16. 

“I am disappointed that we have many MPs but they are MPs who do not say much... so far I am the only one who has made noise, they have not.

“I hope that after Parliament convenes they will become vocal again. Maybe they are still studying what they need to say,” he said, shaking his head.

The outspoken Umno man himself recently questioned if Bersatu supreme council member A Kadir Jasin intended to “abolish the system of Malay rulers” with the latter’s comments critical of the monarchy.

Razlan had also strongly opposed the appointment of Tommy Thomas as the attorney-general, accusing Harapan of seeking to create a “liberal” state.

He also organised an event where the party’s youth candidates were allowed to campaign openly in the run-up to the party polls.

Razlan, who is contesting for a spot on the Umno supreme council, said the event was part of his contribution towards encouraging debate and discussion within the party. 

Continue ‘mature’ pact with PAS

Going forward, Razlan anticipated that Umno’s existing “mature” working relationship with PAS would continue, especially now with a Harapan government in place.

“(In the past) we have often worked with PAS on issues that relate to Islam, that is undeniable. Issues like the RUU355, Rohingya refugees and the situation of Muslims in Palestine.

“I believe that the continuation of this relationship will not be a problem as we have a mature understanding (between us).

“I believe that if there are issues Harapan brings up that undermine the special position of Islam and the bumiputera, these will be debated and not allowed to slide into Parliament,” he said.

The one thing Razlan agreed with Harapan on was on the importance of freedom of speech for the press. Especially now that Umno has become an opposition party, he noted.

Razlan hoped that the media would continue to give coverage to Umno and repeatedly thanked Malaysiakini for doing so.

“I would like to thank Malaysiakini for continuously giving space to Umno and I believe that actually, Malaysiakini has made a big change to the country’s media scene. We see that its struggle has not been easy.

“Today, we see that Malaysiakini has successfully ‘commercialised’ freedom of speech and this is something we can’t censor because we have seen that it (freedom of speech) works well in other countries.

“I hope Malaysiakini will continue to present icons from not only within the government but those outside the government as well,” he said.

READ MORE

'Sunken ship' Umno needs new captain to salvage it, says FT Youth chief