KUALA LUMPUR – So, who exactly is 'Guru'?
That was the question floating around the Umno General Assembly after party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dropped the word repeatedly into his speech, and judging from the reactions around the hall, delegates did not exactly need a name tag to figure it out.
Borrowing a viral TikTok catchphrase, “Guru, hentikan, guru” (Teacher, stop it, teacher), Zahid used the term to deliver a sarcastic jab at an unnamed political leader.
“Who did this? Guru. Enough, guru. Listen to our voices, guru. We can do better than what the guru has done,” he said during his policy speech.
He did not name anyone. But in politics, sometimes you do not need to.
The reference was widely understood by those at the assembly as a swipe at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, particularly against the backdrop of the government’s handling of the targeted Budi95 petrol subsidy programme and growing public concerns over policy changes.
Still, when asked who “Guru” actually referred to, Umno delegates were happy to entertain a more philosophical answer.
Shah Alam Umno Women’s chief Jumaeah Masdi, 54, said the word could apply to anyone regarded as a mentor, teacher or leader.
“Anyone acting as a mentor, educator, leader or head of a household should be an example to those under them. Whoever fits the description of ‘guru’ should understand the weight of the criticism,” she told Sinar Daily during the Umno General Assembly 2026 today.
Bangi Umno Women’s chief Nur Zainatul Atiqa Abdullah, 52, similarly pointed to the instructional nature of leadership.
She said those higher up in the political hierarchy could naturally be seen as “teachers” who had helped shape people’s understanding of politics.
“Those higher up in the political hierarchy are naturally seen as teachers. They may have been the ones who gave us our early understanding of politics,” she said.
Fair enough.
But outside the carefully diplomatic answers, the political reading was rather less complicated.
Among media secretariat members at the assembly, the consensus was that “Guru” was most likely a reference to Anwar.
Media secretariat member Muhammad Arif Aiman Alias, 23, said the political context made the target fairly obvious.
“It is probably because of the complex dynamics and ongoing political situation between Zahid and the Prime Minister within the unity government,” he said.
Another media secretariat member, Aim Faerazuaty Mustafa, said the speech carried the feeling of an unwritten understanding between the speaker and his audience.
In other words, everyone knew who Zahid was talking about without him having to say it.
And that may have been precisely the point.
Zahid’s “Guru” moment came as he criticised what he described as policy confusion and flip-flops, particularly surrounding the targeted Budi95 petrol subsidy programme.
He said his criticism was not meant to provoke hostility or create conflict.
“I am not trying to incite or provoke anyone. But we do not want to create anxiety or unease, let alone endless confusion,” he said.
A quick survey by Sinar Daily with more delegates on the ground further crucified the notion. Almost everyone pointed the finger to Anwar, sometimes PMX and alternately opted to say "Maybe... the Prime Minister."