The Malaysian Insight

TENGKU Razaleigh Hamzah faces a herculean task to revive the old Umno that was declared illegal by the court in 1988, political experts and analysts said. 

They said there were many obstacles ahead for Tengku Razaleigh – better known as Ku Li – if he wants to pursue his aim to bring back a party with its original aims for the Malays. 

They also said there were various issues involved, including legal tangles as well as the questions over the status of the present Umno. They added that the Gua Musang MP could also find it difficult to gather members and funding for his venture. 

Rais Yatim, who left Umno to set up Semangat 46 along with Tengku Razaleigh and others, said the Kelantan prince would have to go back as far as 33 years if he wants to revive the old Umno. 

He was referring to the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision that banned Umno in 1988, which resulted in its then president Dr Mahathir Mohamad forming the Umno Baru that exists today. 

Dr Mahathir at the time had purged his opponents from the new party. Tengku Razaleigh and his supporters had formed Semangat 46. 

Rais, who was a top leader in Semangat 46, said Tengku Razaleigh was undertaking an impossible task.

“Because 33 years have passed, the matter is not simple, even though we know Tengku Razaleigh’s intention may be considered pure from some angles. 

“It’s just a matter of time constraints. Umno has operated for so long and it is not easy for anyone to (legally) challenge what has happened,” said Rais, who rejoined Umno in later years, and then defected to Bersatu just before the last general election. 

The “original” Umno Tengku Razaleigh wants to revive was destroyed due to the split that arose in the aftermath of the 1987 party elections, said Rais, who is now Dewan Negara president. 

He said he and Tengku Razaleigh had originally planned to name their new party “Umno 46” but the Registrar of Societies (ROS) at that time did not allow the formation of a new party with a similar name. As such their new party was called Semangat 46. 

Surprisingly, Dr Mahathir managed to register his new party under the name Umno Baru but dropped “Baru” from usage, hence carrying on the Umno name despite the fact it was a new party. 

The effort to revive the original Umno was mentioned by Tengku Razaleigh in a speech last week in the Dewan Rakyat, where he said the ban in 1988 was illegal and politically motivated. 

A day after the speech, Tengku Razaleigh resigned as chairman of the Umno advisory council on grounds the party continued to support a failed government.

Following the resignation, a group that identified itself as Pekembar Protem Committee – Umno 1946 threw its support behind Tengku Razaleigh’s effort to revive the “old” Umno. 

However, one of the members of the group, Norali Nordin, who is also head of the Sg Senam Umno branch in Perak, refused to comment when asked about the organisation. 

“In a few days, Tengku Razaleigh will issue a statement so we will not comment on anything for now,” he said.

Chances are slim

Political analyst Azmil Tayeb, on the other hand, said Tengku Razaleigh could be talking about the old Umno spirit because he was not happy with developments in the party at the moment. 

The Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer said it appeared as though the Gua Musang MP did not like Umno leaders in the government working with those facing court cases.

Individuals facing court cases include former president Najib Razak and also his current successor, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

“I think Tengku Razaleigh wants Umno to remain in the opposition and take over the government through an election,” said Azmil. 

At the same time, he also said that Tengku Razaleigh may not be able to develop the new party even if he could revive the original Umno. 

“Firstly, because there are many Malay parties such as Umno, Bersatu, PAS, Amanah and Pejuang. 

“So, the chances of winning are slim, especially the new party that does not have many resources, funds and machinery. Secondly, who will be a member of this new party and why? 

“Thirdly, the new party that split from the old one usually does not have a good record, like Semangat 46 and also Amanah now,” he said. 

He said the main challenge that Tengku Razaleigh has to face in efforts to revive the original Umno is to get approval from the ROS.

“And ROS is under the jurisdiction of the federal government led by Umno and Bersatu, who may not be happy with the existence of this new party,” he said.

Legal implications

Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia lecturer Dr Mazlan Ali said Tengku Razaleigh’s statement would have a big impact on Umno. 

This is because the current party needs to be dissolved if the court allows the original Umno to be revived, he said. 

“As far as I remember, after the new Umno was formed, they used the name Umno (Baru). And Tengku Razaleigh, if he wants to form the original party, he has to go to court. 

“Actually, when the old Umno is revived, then the new Umno will automatically be dissolved because there cannot be two names of the same party,” he said. 

He also said Tengku Razaleigh faces a difficult task due to his old age, apart from not having strong support to fight it. 

Last week in Dewan Rakyat, Tengku Razaleigh said Umno must return to its basics and bring back the idealism that was lost after Umno Baru was set up in 1988. 

He said it was time to look at Umno’s original vision for the Malays in 1946. 

He added that the party was then committed to the parliamentary constitution and rules, and was also progressive with a leadership whose only aim was to serve. 

“Leaders at branch, division or national levels had integrity and carried out their duties responsibly,” he said. 

He added that the original Umno established in 1946 was still a legitimate party and that he was keen on reviving it. 

He said the 1988 high court decision was wrong. 

The Kelantan prince rejoined Umno in 1996 on the invitation of Dr Mahathir. – September 25, 2021.