OCT 22 — The “Padang Mahsyar” quip could have come on again at the end of the blistering battle for Umno vice-presidency on Saturday.
But it did not and that is a good sign for the party rooting for stability in the aftermath of the 13th general election.
Probably, the person who had uttered it on stage about 10 years ago lost too badly this time to even think about repeating the same lament regarding unkept promises of votes from delegates. It provided a big sigh of relief for Umno leaders that such disputes over results have been kept to a minimum.
Tan Sri Isa Samad won one of the three vice-president’s seats in the 2004 Umno election, yet in his rounding up speech at the end of the assemby, he openly expressed regret at how he had failed to get votes from some of the delegates who “were supposed” to have voted for him.
“I hope these people will not have trouble searching for me on Padang Mahsyar,” he said.
Padang Mahsyar, in Islam, is where all souls would be summoned in the hereafter to assemble on Judgment Day. And among other things, those who have failed to settle their debts when they were living, must do so here or else their souls would not be in peace.
Isa lost in his latest bid for vice-presidency on Saturday, tying on only seven votes with Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who like him was comfortably in the vice-president’s seat 10 years ago.
Both were disqualified the last round and although this comeback bid fizzled out badly, they accepted the defeat well saying the it was the wishes of the delegates. There was no Judgment Day fears being thrown for now.
There were whispers all round no doubt regarding divisions not voting a certain way and of opponents buying support but these did not accrue enough decibels to create a storm.
The candidates however do keep a running log especially on divisions that did not vote for them. And perhaps they could use this to raise the “Padang Mahsyar” flap later.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir lost narrowly, but even his camp in its hour of defeat was quite composed and unflappable, despite the discovery of dirty tricks against him at the 11th hour.
The victories by Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein means it was the first time in Umno election history that the incumbents for vice-presidents were all returned.
With the top two positions in the party already returned unopposed, it means Umno is back to the status quo in all the key positions—president, deputy, vice-presidents, Youth chief and Wanita chief.
Which is quite a surprise considering all this is happening barely six months after the bruising 13th general election that saw Barisan Nasional scrape through although Umno won nine more parliamentary seats.
It means, despite what others outside the party might think, Umno members are generally quite happy with their leadership lineup.
The tempest that seems to strike once in 20 years—like the succession tussle not long after the death of second prime minister Tun Abduk Razak Hussein in the mid-1970s and the coup on party deputy president Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba in 1993 -- is gone.
The 1993 vice-presidential race was sizzling when two incumbents—Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tan Sri Sanusi Junid — lost to what was highly billed as the “Wawasan Team” comprising Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
This was preceded by the ouster of deputy prime minister Ghafar by a comet named Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
What went on behind the scenes then was most bizarre which had led Sanusi to remark: “I knew they were out to get me. But what has Pak Lah (Abdullah) done to deserve to be booted out?” In a twist of fate however, Abdullah came back the next round but Sanusi perished from the scene.
It was very much to Umno’s credit that the same kind of acrimony was not displayed in Umno elections 2013. In fact it has now become so much an achievement for the party that its new electoral system, expanded to involve nearly 150,000 delegates from 191 divisions, proceeded for two consecutvie weekends without much of a hitch and hassle despite the huge logistical challenges.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
