Dreaming the Datuk Onn dream

Sometime in 2009 Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein spoke about sharing the very same dream his grandfather had more than 50 years ago.

Granddad was, of course, Datuk Onn Jaafar. And Datuk Onn’s dream was noble – to create a united Malaya by breaking racial barrier.

And said Hishammuddin then: “It is one that is close to me personally being the grandson of Datuk Onn who wanted to open Umno to all races and the son of Hussein Onn, bapa perpaduan”.

Yes Datuk Onn wanted to open up Umno to all Malayans. That was the main or the very first thing Datuk Onn wanted in realising his united Malaya dream.

But we know all too well what happened. His proposal was rejected with some in Umno labelling him traitor to the Malay cause and accused him of being in a hurry which to them was detrimental to the Malay race.

Perhaps Umno then was not ready for Datuk Onn’s radical views. Perhaps Umno then had all the right reasons to do what it did. Perhaps. But whatever it was, we all know also that Datuk Onn had no choice but leave Umno, the party he himself formed.

Back to the present. Is the Umno now different from the Umno then? The Malay/Muslim  party had in the 1990s opened membership to all Bumiputera regardless of religion. Is this enough? Dare they go a step further?

To Hishammuddin, the 1Malaysia concept introduced by Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a “revial of the Datuk Onn’s dream of a united nation – many races but one Malaysia”.

“I continue to dream of a united Malaysia and I shall continue to hold on to that dream.”

So will he act upon the dream? Considering the “risks” and also the consequences faced by his grandfather years ago. Or just continue dreaming?   

“If  the question is will he act to open up Umno, it wouldn’t be fair to ask him that  as he is not in a position  to do so although he is party vice-president and holds a senior ministerial post in the Najib administration,” said a political observer.

But now we hear Hishammuddin is patron to a new non-governmental organisation named IOJ for Institut Onn Jaafar. The institute is headed by former television news personality Charles Mohan.

Just what’s the institute all about?

“IOJ will help the poor and vulnerable regardless of race and religious background. The values or rather the aspiration of Datuk Onn with the tag line we must live together,” said Charles, adding that say such values were part of the Datuk Onn dream.

So as it stands, IOJ will go the way many organisations before – that is, provide humanitarian aid, medical services, free lessons to children and a wide range of other things with the help of a band of multiracial volunteers. Regionally, globally but beginning in Malaysia.

So the question is: has Hishammuddin realised the dream? If going by what Charles said, then it’s apparently “yes”, albeit partially.

On to another question: will the IOJ be a political think-tank for Hishammuddin? Or a vehicle to boost the Umno man, politically?

Charles puts it this way: “Of course, some will connect this to his political career. Well, we can’t help it. But the fact is IOJ is to just do the right things to help the unfortunate.”   

IOJ is to be launched today by Hishammuddin. Naturally. – September 7, 2014.  

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.