Analysis by Joceline Tan
DATUK Mukhriz Mahathir had been trailing as the underdog in the race for the Umno Youth leadership.
He has a family name that opens doors but somehow the doors were not opening for him.
Each time his famous father opened his mouth, another door slammed in the son’s face.
At one stage, Mukhriz was not even sure of securing the requisite 38 nominations to contest the post.
But the wind has shifted and when he formally announced his intention to go for the post last week, he was pretty confident of securing the nominations.
For the occasion, Mukhriz picked his old family home in Titi Gajah, Kedah, where it had all begun for his father and where he hopes it will now begin for him.
Mukhriz, a relatively new face in Umno Youth politics, has not had an easy time because he was seen as the rebellious voice who had dared to ask Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down after the general election losses.
But in one of those turns of events, Mukhriz’s view does not seem that out of line anymore.
No less than Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has said the same and in a few weeks’ time, the question of whether there should be a change in leadership in the party will be decided by Umno divisions all over the country.
Mukhriz has gone overnight from fringe to mainstream.
But he is still far from being ahead in the race which, to date, also features incumbent deputy Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and Padang Besar Umno head Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin.
Three heavyweights
The fight will eventually boil down to the three heavyweights, that is, Khairy, Khir and Mukhriz because not many think Zahidi can secure the nominations.
Khairy only formally declared he was in the race on Wednesday in his Rembau home-ground, surrounded by some of his staunchest supporters.
“Unlike Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Khairy has the numbers,” said Umno Youth secretary Datuk Rahman Dahlan.
His supporters say he is ahead of the rest although it is hard to tell because this is, after all, Khairy’s first real contest in the party.
He has pretty much had things on a silver platter so far. He was appointed into the Umno Youth exco in 2001 by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, and in 2004 he won the No. 2 post uncontested when his would-be challengers backed off.
Khir is by far the most tested. In 2000, he won a place on the Umno Youth exco strictly on his own steam and in 2004, he joined the supreme council with the highest number of votes.
Mukhriz stunned everyone in 2004 when he made his debut in the Umno Youth exco with the most votes. This was also the year when Khairy was booed by delegates who saw his walk-in win as less than fair play.
But all that is now water under the bridge. Khairy has put in his share of work and this is his chance to prove that he is more than just the famous son-in-law.
Choosing the right Umno Youth leader has never been more urgent. The wing’s image has not been this low since 1998 when young Malays rejected Umno over the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
History is repeating itself. Umno Youth did not deliver the young Malay vote in March and Umno’s candidate lost miserably among the younger voters in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
It is hardly a glowing report card for Hishammuddin to take to the next stage nor the best track record for Khairy to vie for the top post.
The wing is perceived as self-serving, subservient to the leadership and incapable of articulating the aspirations of young Malays.
The political landscape has changed and whoever wins faces the tough task of reinventing the wing and winning back the young ground.
“It’s very important for me that the next Umno Youth leader is respected by people inside as well as outside the party,” said Umno Youth exco member Datuk Sazmi Miah.
But the majority of the 400 or so delegates who will vote in the wing’s new leadership rarely see beyond what the party can do for them.
They still look up to someone who can articulate Malay interests and views; they are, after all, a Malay nationalist party. Incumbents Hishammuddin and Khairy felt obliged to live up to such expectations and they have learnt that it is not possible to be Malay ultras one day and Malaysian leaders the next.
Striking a balance
And that is another challenge for the next Umno Youth leader - striking a balance.
Khairy, at 32, is the only one among the four candidates who can honestly claim to be part of the youth generation. Mukhriz is 44, Dr Khir is 45 while Zahidi is 48.
Earlier, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, 58, drew gasps of disbelief when he toyed with the idea of going for the post.
To date, Mukhriz has the most interesting message. He said he would not accept a government post if given the mandate to lead Umno Youth. A government post takes up time or, worse, compromises the priorities of a Youth leader. He wants to give his full attention to the wing and he said he is not in it for personal gain or glamour.
“The wing should be not be used by the leaders to endorse decisions that are not popular with our grassroots. That’s why young Malays have run away from us,” said Sazmi, a long-time friend of Mukhriz.
But Mukhriz will have to shake off his tendency to defend his father and begin projecting his own views.
It is unclear how Mukhriz’s message of change will go down with the Youth grassroots, particularly in the face of Khairy’s uber-campaign in the past weeks.
Since the fasting month began, the website affiliated to him has been filled with reports and pictures of him in kampung mode. He has been sporting a full beard, kain pelekat (a Malay skirt) and presenting foodstuff to the needy.
“He has been the target of slander but he has grassroots appeal and is not afraid of rolling up his sleeves to work,” said Rahman.
But Khairy remains a controversial figure inside and outside Umno and the renewed pressure for the Prime Minister to fast-forward his 2010 exit plan is bound to impact his campaign.
He was a glittering political star and the shoo-in successor to Hishammuddin before the March political tsunami. His prospects have also been affected by his father-in-law’s ratings.
Dr Khir has been diligently campaigning without much fanfare. He is projecting himself as an independent voice for the wing but feelings are still raw over the loss of Selangor and he has to tread very carefully.
His strength remains his humble kampung roots and unassuming ways and he could be the dark horse to watch in the contest.
There is a mood for change in the air and the playing field has grown a little more level; may the best man win.
