COMMENT | In trying to appear strong, Zahid appeared weak

COMMENT | The Umno General Assembly is an arena of superimposed masculinity. It is common to have delegates using the platform to shout out their beliefs, on the premise of representing the voices of the party grassroots, in a desperate attempt of oratory showmanship.

Most of Umno politicians’ lifetime regretful statements come from the assembly – a place that seems to invite the worst instincts of even the most benign individuals.

This year was no different, except that it was worse for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Umno’s president.

After being elected president a month from the oldest party’s worst electoral defeat, Zahid was immediately faced with an existential crisis. As a leader, will he continue with his accommodating style that served him well in consolidating the party’s rank and file?

Zahid’s politics of making-everyone-happy is not inherently problematic, but it was unsuitable for a Grand Old Party that has just fallen from grace. Still the largest party with the most extensive machinery across the country, its members were waiting for a new vision and a clear instruction to fight back to the throne.

Instead, what they had in Zahid was a leader who was not keen on making tough decisions nor having a head to reimagine a new life. His court cases continued to saddle his appearance as a leader, forcing himself to take a garden leave, only to return with much of the same...