‘PRESIDENT IS UMNO’S CENTRE OF GRAVITY’
Party’s strength or weakness lies in the leadership, says Youth chief
THE Umno Youth delegates’ assembly turned into a short political science classroom when its chief likened the party president to the “centre of gravity”.
Youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, in his policy speech, explained that based on the centre of gravity theory, the strength or weakness of an organisation rests on its leadership.
“If this centre of gravity is weakened or damaged, then even the biggest planet can be destroyed and can even cause chaos in the vastness of the universe.
“The party president is the centre of gravity for the party. He is not an individual, but an institution.
“If the institution is weak, then the organisation is weak. If the presidential institution is destroyed, then the strength of the party is destroyed.”
Therefore, Asyraf said, the strategies of attacking a leader’s personality and character assassination were the “most powerful weapon” to incapacitate any organisation.
In the 14th and 15th General Election, he added, leaders who spearheaded Umno in both the polls have had their credibility shattered, and were painted with a bad reputation because of “appalling” selected political persecution, which in turn caused Umno to fall to its knees.
However, Asyraf said, it was Umno itself which allowed the rot to set in, with personal social media pages openly being used to insult the leadership.
“What’s even worse is the existence of enemies within who campaigned against the party and the president during elections.
“We have never imagined how leaders, who have been living luxuriously for decades due to the sweat and tears of party members, this time choose to discredit the party and the leadership because they can no longer be candidates.
“Some candidates have also chosen to become ‘heroes’ by criticising the party, saying that voting for them was to ‘cleanse’ Umno that appeared to be lost, damaged and corrupt, as if they were the only ones that were pure, perfect and great.”
He pointed out that the people would not want to vote for a party if it was not united.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. The reality is we lost in 2018 because of slander, and in 2022 we lost because of disunity.”
Asyraf also defended the party’s decision to partner up with archenemy DAP to form the unity government.
He equated the situation to the “Hilf Al-Fudul” alliance during the time of Prophet Muhammad who allied himself with non-believers in Makkah and the Jewish people in Madinah.
“We cannot be rigid and think that our existing political collaborations are perfect without taking into account the realities and aspirations of the people.
“We cannot be old-fashioned and think that our political strategies all this while are great, while our enemies are brave enough to explore new ways, even willing to fish in muddy waters for power.
“Perhaps, there is wisdom to what has happened (Umno’s loss in the last election) that has pushed us to form a new political cooperation in a coalition that represents various races and ethnicities, instead of a combination that is seen to represent only one race.”
Asyraf said Prophet Muhammad’s cooperation with his allies did not pawn away his religious beliefs and struggles, adding that he never compromised on matters involving principles and sovereignty of the nation and his country.
“Thus is our cooperation in forming the unity government together with parties that have long been our main rivals... it was even considered ‘delusional’ for Umno members to accept DAP as a ‘friend’.
“Surely, it is not something that is easy. Many hearts and spirits have been broken. But the wisdom of the prophet’s cooperation with non-Muslims to ensure the growth of the religion and the nation becomes our guidance.
“We will never bow down to any demands that would compromise the position of Islam, Malays and the Bumiputeras and the royal institution.”