KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

It is an adage that many political parties live by, and one which is especially true for Umno, judging by the results of its party election. 

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is the party’s new chief in the highly-anticipated internal polls for the party that is seeking to rebuild itself after a crushing electoral defeat.

It was announced hours ago that the former deputy prime minister trounced his two key rivals ― Khairy Jamaluddin and Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah ― for the coveted number one post in Umno. 

At the time of writing, 65-year-old Zahid has won Umno’s majority support from the 191 party division chiefs by 78 votes, according to Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Former Umno youth chief and former youth and sports minister Khairy, 42, came in at a close second by winning 53 votes.

The 81-year-old veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li, trailed behind at just 28 votes.

So what does this tell you about Umno?

It is at its lowest ebb since the party’s formation more than half a century ago.

Umno lost for the first time in GE14 at the hands of the man that once helped it win many elections in the past — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Its former president and chief, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will not be remembered in the history books for any of his contributions as prime minister, but will instead be dogged by the ghost of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), allegations of corruption and the loss of millions of ringgit under his watch.

The baggage he carried affected Barisan Nasional (BN) as a whole, to the point where the 13-member coalition now only has three parties left — Umno, MCA and MIC, and even then there are whispers that MCA and MIC leaders are rethinking their alliances.

With this on its shoulders, Umno delegates were presented with a choice, and they voted Zahid — and in doing so, sent out a clear signal that they have decided to stick with the status quo, at least for the time being.

Umno has chosen Zahid, the person who struggled during Friday night’s live presidential debate to deliver concrete, convincing policies for a party that is in desperate need for a new direction.

Zahid’s promise of a “new deal”, a rebranding of BN and strengthening of Umno’s fight for Islam and Malay rights rings hollow and is not even a repackaged version of the same product.

It is what Umno warlords have been selling for decades. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, it is clear that while the issue of Malay rights is crucial, it was not enough for millions of Malaysians who voted against Umno and BN in GE14.

Khairy, on the other hand had pushed for an end to the “invincibility” of the Umno president, and a promise to work towards making the party a credible Opposition for the current Pakatan Harapan government.

He apologised for the mistakes of the Najib administration, and said Umno should refrain from doing any backdoor deals to become government again.

But what was perhaps Khairy’s most progressive idea was a proposal to open up the party’s membership to non-Muslim Bumiputeras, which was shot down by Zahid throughout his own campaign for the presidency.

Perhaps that’s why he lost.

Perhaps the reforms Khairy suggested were just too much for a party still licking its wounds from the GE14 battle it lost at the hands of a 92-year-old “former dictator.”

What about Tengku Razaleigh? At best, the veteran Umno leader was a vote-spoiler, who came in the race at the very last minute to “fix” his party — after decades of hibernation.

The results in itself show how much popularity he truly commands among the party grassroots, despite the Kelantan prince going all-out for the past week on a campaign trail to garner support.

So Umno picked Zahid, a leader who sparked controversy for paying Dr Mahathir a courtesy visit sometime last month, when pictures of the said meeting were shared on social media.

Somewhere in Langkawi right now, Dr Mahathir is probably having a private laugh.

Khairy is the Umno president the party needs, but Zahid is probably the leader the party deserves.

What next, then?

For Zahid, the journey to repair Umno’s image and morale will be a long and arduous one, especially for a party which has (in the past) thrived on patronage politics and a “warlord” feudal culture.

Right now, Umno not only has to chart its future alone, but it also has to do so with empty pockets. And that will ultimately be Zahid’s greatest challenge, to close ranks and mobilise support without infrastructure Umno once had.

If Zahid is serious about reforms, he should propose that Khairy be BN’s Opposition Leader when Parliament convenes later this month.

Khairy is willing and eager to prove himself; and according him that space in Parliament will be a good political move in the long run in prepping Umno for its future president.

Unless Zahid wants more of the status quo. Then its business as usual, and Umno becomes as effective an opposition on the federal level as it has been in Selangor and Penang— virtually non-existent.

For Khairy, claiming Umno’s top spot is going to have to wait, at least for another term. Until then, he has to do his best to shine, and to galvanise as much support as he can among the party’s grassroots.

What about Tengku Razaleigh?

He may challenge the results, or he may not. Either way, this election was the best chance to reignite his political career, and with this loss, he’ll probably never get a chance to taste the Umno presidency.

But then again, it is a consolation prize. The real winner’s busy finalising his Cabinet line-up for Monday.

https://www.malaymail.com/s/1647353/so-zahid-won-and-perhaps-dr-m-is-having-a-little-laugh