MCA vice president Tan Teik Cheng, as many might or might not know, has called on Akmal Saleh to do some “self-reflection to understand why non-Malays strongly dislike him.”

First thing first. Is it true that non-Malays “strongly dislike” the Umno Youth head? Or it’s just the MCA who is not a big Akmal fan?

“This is not just the personal opinion of Law (Yiak Kwang) or any MCA member – it reflects the broader perception of non-Malays towards him,” said Tan as reported by Malaysiakini.

Law is Johor MCA deputy publicity chief whose Facebook posts used a phrase in Chinese character which when translated means, or could mean, “crazy Malay” or “crazy horse.”

That got Akmal all fired up regardless the actual meaning, and went on a furious tirade mode, which is not surprising.

According to Tan, the Umno Youth chief’s words and actions have “repeatedly triggered discontent among non-Malays.”

Looking at what Akmal has said and done thus far, I must say that I agree with the MCA VP.

From KK Mart to ham sandwich, halal certification and many other issues, you name it, he has done it.

Akmal has never failed to hurt the feelings of non-Malays, in particular the Chinese. I don’t have any intention to repeat all the things he has hurled openly.

Having said that, I must say this: He is a “smart” politician. Shrewd if you like. Call whatever you want to call it. He has a plan and he is executing it.

As I see it, Akmal knows what he is doing. Thus, he did what he did, does what he does, and continues doing it.

To Akmal Saleh, the non-Malays don’t matter. What matters most is the Malay vote.

Obviously he fashions himself as a Malay “hero,” or see himself as one. One who wants to give the impression he is fighting for the Malay cause, and by extension, Islam. One who fights for the Malays and defend them. Never mind whether the Malays need someone to fight for and defend bangsa Melayu and agama Islam.

Akmal takes it upon himself to carry out his plan at a time when the Malays have turned their backs on Umno having felt betrayed by leaders the community sees as corrupt and having a penchant for “filling their own stomachs.”

Many are taken in by the “Islamic rhetoric” of PAS – throwing their support behind the Hadi Awang-led party.

Akmal wants to stop that. He wants the Malays to support Umno like what they did in days gone by. Hence, he must be or be seen to be more Malay and more Islam than PAS.

He wants to show that his “Malayness” is more than any other Malay-based party, be it in Perikatan Nasional or the Unity Government.

So, what if along the way non-Malays feel hurt, making them dislike him, or even hate him?

To him, they don’t matter. What matters most is the Malay support.

The end justifies the means. This is how I see the picture. I may be wrong but I think I am right.

He is doing it for Ummo and for himself. Let’s not be naïve to think that he is doing everything for Umno without thinking about his own political gains. He is after all a politician. He is quick to spot any opportunity to be exploited, and seize it, for the reasons already stated.

For instance, Law’s FB post about “crazy Malay crazy horse” thing. He said that was either an attack on himself or “an insult to the Malays as a whole.” Meaning telling the Malays “the crazy Malay could be about me or it could also be about you.”

Is “clever” the right word to use here? Or “naughty”? To put it tamely, that is!

Has he been successful? To an extent, yes. But one thing for sure: quite a number of Malays have been riled up. The issues he brought to the fore have hit many a raw nerve.

There are Malays who say that non-Malays “sudah melampau.”

That is not a good thing. In fact, it’s dangerous.

To MCA’s Tan, the Umno Youth head’s “attitude not only damages the relationship between BN component parties but also undermines BN’s effort to gain support from the non-Malay community.”

Tan is being simplistic – obviously only talking on the politics of it.

To Akmal, as said earlier, the Malay vote matters.

I am not worried about the political aspect or implication on political parties. My concern is the harmony among the people of this beloved country of ours.

That must be preserved and nourished. Not jeopardized.

(Mohsin Abdullah is a veteran journalist and now a freelancer who writes about this, that and everything else.)