When Wives, Children Are A Liability

A Kadir Jasin

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IN the many years that I was involved in reporting, observing and “handling” general elections, I have not seen such a widespread backlash against nepotism and cronyism as in the March 8 polls.

Although the allegations centered on the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, members of his immediate family, his private office and a handful of friends, the impact they had on Umno and the Barisan Nasional was crippling.

Abdullah was seen as being under the spell and influence of these people to the extent that he sidestepped the party.

On the other hand, a number of high-flying candidates benefited from their political pedigree.

Mukhriz Mahathir won the hard fought contest against Pas in the Jerlun parliamentary seat in Kedah partly because he is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s son.

Anwar Ibrahim’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail retained her Permatang Pauh seat with a huge margin despite the blitzkrieg “gempur” by the Umno Youth Chief Hishammuddin Hussein.
Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah did equally well by unseating the popular Lembah Pantai incumbent Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

As a growing number of politicians’ children followed their footsteps public scrutiny increases. I had stated in my Other Thots column in the Malaysian Business magazine in 2004, that although this was not an altogether new phenomenon, the elevation of these young people to key positions had raised eyebrows.

There is nothing wrong in children of politicians tracing their fathers’ (or mothers’) footsteps.

Second Prime Minister, Tun Hussien Onn was the son of Umno founder Onn Jaafar. Today his son, Hishamuddin, is youth chief and Education Minister.

The present Prime Minister is a third-generation Umno leader. His father was a member of the Penang State Legislative Assembly and his grandfather was a respected Umno ulama (clergy).

Current Deputy Prime Minister, Mohd Najib, is the son of second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussain. Upon his father’s death in 1976, he took over his Pekan constituency at the age of 23. He went on to become the youngest ever Menteri Besar.

But nobody rose to prominence faster, more sensationally and controversially than the Umno Youth vice-chief and, since March 9, the Member of Parliament for Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin. His meteoric rise started when he was appointed Abdullah’s special officer and later married his daughter.

Mukhriz, at 44, is much older than Khairy. He entered active politics only after his father retired in 2003. After suffering a humiliating defeat in his attempt to become the Youth Chief of Kubang Pasu in 2004, he redeemed himself by garnering the highest votes in the youth wing election.

The new Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, has been an addendum to his father’s politics for more than two decades.

Being in the opposition, his rise to power took a long, hard road, including spending 18 months under ISA detention and two concurrent 18-month jail terms for conviction under the Sedition Act and Printing Presses & Publications Act.

Following in Guan Eng’s footsteps is Karpal Singh’s son Gobind Singh Deo who won a thumping victory in Puchong. There are other sons, daughters, sons-and daughters-in-law who are today in the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.

But not all children of top politicians who followed their fathers’ footsteps succeeded. In fact, a few failed miserably while others are poor copies of their fathers.

Allow me to share with you an excerpt from my Other Thots Column in the Business Times on the subject of politicians’ wives and children, which was published in the October 1-15, 2003 issue of the magazine. I wrote it days before Abdullah became Prime Minister.

“THUS, it is not unexpected that many people are hoping that Abdullah would do likewise when he takes over next month- that is to use the general election as the basis for the formation of his team.

“Umno, the BN and the government would do well to introduce young blood, regenerate and reinvent.

“Since many of today’s senior leader have been in office as long as, or, in the case or some, longer than Dr Mahathir, they have become set in their ways.

“While the longevity of their political careers says a lot about their ability as politicians and administrators, many of them have been reduced to defending their actions instead of advancing the interest of party, government and the people.

“Sad as it may be, this is only to be expected. When they first became ministers, menteris besar or chief ministers, they were young, enthusiastic and, in rare cases, even idealistic.

“Their children were still in school and their spouses were just plain isteri Yang Berhormat (wives of honourable members).

“Today, their children are influential politicians and big –time businessmen. Their wives are the power behind the throne. For some of them, their children and spouses have become political liability.

“Even as we speak of the succession, the wife factor seems not to escape public attention. For the good or evil, the wife factor seems to be of great significance of the public.

“Whereas Malaysians in general have come to expect their leaders to have a stable – for the lack of better words – family life, the wife factor has, in recent years, become an important factor as more and more politicians’ wives are drawn into their husbands’ political activities.

“Dr Mahathir and Datin Seri Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali are seen as the perfect political couple. Although Dr Siti Hasmah participates in her husband’s political and social activities, she is seen as being above any personal or private agenda.

“The reality is Dr Siti Hasmah has played an important role in Dr Mahathir’s political career from the very beginning.

“When Dr Mahathir first became an MP in the Kota Star Selatan constituency in 1964, it was Dr Siti Hasmah who helped draw the womenfolk to his cause.

“She was seen as being more approachable and down to earth than the shy Dr Mahathir.

“With so many important things ahead, let us pray that Abdullah is spared the headache of having to deal with politik isteri and anak menteri (the politics of ministers’ wives and children).”

On March 8, the voters sent a very strong signal. I am sure Umno and the BN leaders are more aware than ever before that their wives, children and sons-and daughters-in-law can turn out to be a liability.

I have repeatedly stressed that we voted for our representatives. We did not vote for their spouses, children, sons-and daughters-in-law, friends and cronies.

It’s incumbent upon them to listen to people and not to their spouses and members of their families. They are, after all, elected representatives and not kings and emperors.

Note: The Oxford English Dictionary defines nepotism as: Favouritism shown to relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. Origin is Italian nepotismo, from nipote ‘nephew’ (with reference to privileges bestowed on the ‘nephews’ of popes, often really their illegitimate sons.)

Cronyism is often defined as favouritism shown to old friends without regard for their qualifications, as in political appointments to office. It’s from Greek khronios, which means long-standing.