The leader of the Youth UMNO party, Dr. Akmal Salleh crows every day that he is simply doing what his party stands for, defending Malays and Islam. He says that he is willing to lose everything, his position in government, his position in the party and the trust of his coalition partners all for the sake of Islam and Melayu. I only have one answer to his seemingly patriotic statement and seemingly pious positioning: what a lot of hogwash! Akmal, to me, presents the worst of the worst in political opportunism. Period.

Political opportunism is usually a ‘necessary’ and ‘harmless’ strategy, tactic and weapon of a politician aspiring to be great but sometimes it would turn into something as terrible as May 13 in Malaysia…or even worse. I will explain why I think political opportunism as displayed in the stocking-Allah issue spells terrible disaster for Malaysia worse than any conservatisms of PAS or PN rule might bring.

What is political opportunism? When is it dangerous? These are the two questions that I will deal with in this article. In the first question, political opportunism, as I define it, is simply the act of using an issue at a specifically strategic time to gain the most popularity for a politician with the least cost to his purse or effort. It is simply a lot of shouting; play acting and most of all…timing. With social media catering to 98% ignorant users who knows no better than the view in front of their phone or computer screen, political opportunism is the weapon par excellence in today’s politics. On the one hand, political opportunism like what Tun M did to Tengku Razleigh Hamzah in the head dress issue is ‘harmless’ to the nation as a whole and benefits fully the one who spun the issue, Tun M. It cost Tengku Razeligh Hamzah and Semangat 46 a loss in the General Election in the days where information is carefully controlled by the TV and the newspaper. When Tun M controlled those two, it was kacang puteh only…as the Malay Penangite would say (kacang puteh…means so easy lah).

Now, political opportunism is ‘acceptable’ in the strange moral world of politics. But it takes an extremely dangerous turn when that opportunism that was supposed to make one politician look like a hero can cause massive loss of jobs, trust and could also cause killings in what is known as religious or racial vigilantism.

The political opportunism of Akmal may cost his lucrative UMNO gravy train and his career. Who cares! I certainly don’t. Akmal has been shouting nonsensical remarks ever since he was elected Youth Leader. Nothing positive or beneficial for the country came from his mouth. At least Tun M created Putrajaya and many other things of worth, but not this man. So, nobody in Malaysia would care two cents if Akmal were to be disposed off or joins the PN road show and eventually become a Bersatu member. Go ahead; make my day (as Clint Eastwood would say in Dirty Harry).

What were the social, economic, religious and political costs of Akmal’s opportunism? Firstly, there are thousands of workers who were just earning an honest living and making preparation for Hari Raya who will now face an uncertain future. I was taken aback and shocked at the devastating effectiveness of the campaign against McDonalds and Starbucks in the Palestine issue. Boycott calls using the social media and religion as the basis is probably the greatest weapon in any political arsenal presently.

Next, socially, many of these workers, like those of Starbucks and McDonald face ridicule and taunts by stupid influencers, friends and relatives who think that taunting and shaming these workers as a ‘holy act of spiritual greatness’. These people may love their religion but they certainly know nothing of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. It does not help that muftis, professors of Islam and ustazs or religious teachers are COMPLETELY silent on the sin of saying bad things especially to those who had absolutely nothing to do with and intention to insult the name of Allah.
The worst case from the byproduct of this political opportunism of one political figure is the rise of religious vigilantism. There were two cases reported, one in Kota Kinabalu and the other in Kuala Lumpur. It was reported that a group of Malay Muslims, complete with silat or martial art teacher confronting people who were said to be insulting Islam in the stocking case. It was a mercy that these two victims of ‘gangsterism’ were not hurt. I wonder how Akmal would feel if these two victims were hurt, maimed or killed. Whose fault would it be? What price should we pay for political opportunism?

I call on the nation to be stricter with political opportunism playing with 3R and even stricter with vigilantes taking matters into their own hands. I call on the religious leaders to proclaim the great sin of political opportunism of this nature as well as acts of boycotts and vigilantism. I also call on whoever started this division of our community to publicly apologize to the people of Malaysia or else we will no longer support the party that has such a personality to be responsible in the rebuilding of Malaysia.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)