Friday Jottings: A gathering storm behind the curtain

Malaysian Reserve

9 hours ago

WHILE some view the growing tension between UMNO Youth and DAP as having reached the point of no return, others are less convinced, scoffing at the spat as mere grandstanding that neither party can afford to end.
Central to the drama is Dr Akmal Saleh, the UMNO Youth chief and self-styled firebrand, who in the past turned insipid when DAP, his usual target of discontent, upped the ante.
Many are reminded of Akmal's bravado in handling the KK Mart socks issue, where socks bearing the name of Allah were found, only to be snubbed by the government when KK Mart joined its entourage to Uzbekistan to sign an MOU witnessed by national leaders.
Akmal waded into another controversy involving KK Mart and ham sandwiches, only to be dismissed by DAP leader and Minister Nga Kor Ming as a mere fly.
In the latest controversy over the Malaysian flag being flown upside down, Akmal once again waded into it, demanding that those responsible be punished — even after it was revealed that the act was committed by a disabled person. He went further to say that anyone defending the act should be issued a disabled person's card.
DAP veteran Teng Chang Kim entered the fray, mocking Akmal for pulling off such stunts for the election purposes and describing Akmal as a stray dog, suggesting that instead of lodging police reports against him, the City Council should be called in.
Teng has since taken down his social media posting containing the stray dog comparison, but not before Akmal hit back, calling the senior DAP leader a wild boar.
It did not end there. Akmal, seemingly keen to prove his mettle, decided to proceed with a protest in front of a shop that had been recorded flying the national flag upside down.
Penang DAP Youth described Akmal's action as a serious breach of the nation's rule of law.
The latest incident prompted threats and renewed calls to sever ties with Akmal.
Penang DAP was specific in its stance, demanding that the party leadership cut ties with Akmal, not UMNO or UMNO Youth, and stating that the appropriate time to do so would be during the next general election.
Akmal did not let it pass, claiming that the collaboration between UMNO and DAP would end if DAP Youth insisted on cutting ties with him.
He seemed cocksure that any attempts to sever relations with him was equivalent to severing ties with UMNO Youth and even UMNO itself.
Simply put, Akmal seems to believe that he, UMNO Youth chief, UMNO Youth and UMNO are one and the same.
What do all these actually say?
Firstly, DAP Youth is not keen to end the relationship with UMNO, only with Akmal.
For Akmal, on the other hand, the demand from the DAP Youth to remove him from the equation will not happen because that would mean the end of the parties' union.
It is a stalemate, as neither can afford to hold on to political power in the government without the other.
Furthermore, that is why they are called flies, dogs or wild boars in the heat of the moment if compared with the DAP's election campaign of never working with UMNO because it is led by a corrupt leader.
Likewise on the part of Akmal. If his leader had made the sumpah laknat or the curse oath or oath of damnation of not supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, working with DAP, only to later renege on it, surely Akmal could eventually accept him being labelled a stray dog or a fly.
Ultimately, it is being able to remain and retain the government that is of consideration and if ending the cooperation will impact it, then it is not an option.
Put it the other way round.
If Akmal needs to accept DAP Youth and vice versa, if that means the continuity of the government, that is the only option there is.
The next question is, if they realised that, then why the sabre rattling?
It is political grandstanding at its best. Akmal needs to remind his electorate that he is still the Malay patriot and that UMNO is still the political vehicle the Malays can rely on.
On the part of DAP Youth, it needs to remind its electorate that it will not keep quiet when a Malay leader like Akmal decides to flex his muscle with the non-Malay community.
Much as they may insist that they have shed racial politics, every turn of the conversation is racially inclined.
In summation, their perceived irreparable conflict is at best scraps for the less critical and red flags for those slightly more.
While dismissing the stale drama between UMNO and DAP, a more sinister and bizarre spectacle is unfurling relating to the syringe attack on Rafizi Ramli's son.
It being sinister is not a mere conjecture, as Rafizi, during a press conference, implied it to be so, repeatedly hinting that the attack was related to his involvement with whistle-blowers regarding a major scandal.
Amid a steady stream of well-wishers and expressed anger over the cowardly attack, the usually steely Rafizi, who in the past faced threats and even incarceration squarely, was a teary-eyed Rafizi on a couple of occasions.
Obviously, the attack on his only son got to him. Despite that, he pledged to press on with the fight against wrongdoings and wrongdoers.
While his critics may brush it aside but the crux of the matter is that Rafizi's attempt to expose one or several wrongdoings had really infuriated certain parties so much so that they are willing to physically carry out their threats.
All these occurred when Rafizi had started to criticise the current administration and personalities closely linked to it.
It is both disquieting and menacing, warranting the closest scrutiny. It is unlike the play performed by Akmal and DAP Youth.
That is theatrics staged by second-rate actors.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMR editorial board.