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IN THE aftermath of last week's general election, Umno and its leaders are in the midst of tearing themselves apart. At the same time Umno is also revealing its infernal arrogance - the same arrogance and lust for power that led to its stunning reversal of fortune.
Umno must face up to the fact that it is no longer the sole party of the Malay community. Competition for votes is now a fact of life. The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) have now joined Umno on the centre-stage.
Whether or not Umno will continue to play a role in the future depends on how it copes with this setback. One of the most important things for the party to address - intelligently and humbly - is the Malay swing away from Umno.
I have two particularly strong memories from my travels across the country during the campaign period. The first was of an Umno convoy on the way to a campaign stop in Kelantan. It consisted primarily of black SUVs and MPVs roaring down a small country lane, brash and oblivious to their surroundings. Only a handful of the cars were from Kelantan.
The second was of another political convoy, this time from PAS. Their vehicles were much humbler - Kancils and Kelisas. As with the Umno cars, their licence plates indicated that they were from outof-town. These were men and women who had chosen to brave the long and exhausting drive home to campaign for their cause. This was a display of passion and commitment.
Minor as they are, these incidents help explain the 'Malay swing' that caused so much consternation. They indicate the two very different cultures that have taken root in Umno and PAS, respectively. These differences have a direct bearing on their recent electoral performances - and more importantly, on their futures as well.
Umno leaders do not seem to have a clear vision. Ask them what they stand for and they'll mumble a few words about 'Malay rights'. However, most Malays (and certainly all non-Malays) feel the phrase has become a by-word for 'my rights' or 'my contracts'. In short, self-interest has overwhelmed the once respected party of merdeka or independence.
Indeed, many outsiders see Umno leaders as little more than moving ATM machines, shuttling from one lavish tented function to the next, hand outstretched, ready to be kissed. In essence, the party has lost touch with its original, activist grassroots.
For all the talk about Chinese and Indian anger, seats like Titiwangsa, Shah Alam, Gombak and Bagan Serai could not have fallen to the opposition without the support of Malay voters, who made up more than 60 per cent of registered voters in these constituencies. This bald fact should force Umno's leaders into some form of introspection.
Why did Malays desert Umno? Why are so many Umno leaders loathed by the very community they are supposed to represent and champion? What have they done or failed to do? Honesty at this stage is vital.
Many old supporters of Umno were repelled by the leadership's arrogance, disconnectedness from reality and self-importance. The fixation on the Umno General Assembly later in the year indicated that many Umno leaders were in fact more focused on the party apparachiks who vote in the internal party polls than the voting public.
So what next? Frankly, the party can never hope to win back non-Malay support if it can't address the erosion in its own core Malay base. But it will not start winning back these voters until it admits the base is weakening. Self-denial will mean total annihilation in 2013.
Umno leaders must start listening to the people they're supposed to be representing, instead of lecturing them. Only then - having heard the people's concerns, hopes and fears - can Umno begin the process of renewal and reform.
Infighting, meanwhile, will just confirm the rakyat's (people's) scepticism, contempt and anger.
The writer is a Malaysian columnist.
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