Something that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in his keynote address at the Umno General Assembly on Jan 16 piqued my interest.

In referring to the way Umno should be treated by other parties, he said: “Do not think that Umno is a karipullay party, a daun kari party…added to the pot when convenient and then discarded once the dish is ready.”

The message behind Zahid’s gustatory analogy can’t be clearer. Don’t treat Umno as expendable or ornamental within the ruling coalition.

Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said Umno deserved recognition and respect for its contributions.

A report the following day quoted Zahid as saying his curry leaf analogy in the earlier day’s speech was a reminder to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to trust Umno if he was serious about forging a political friendship with the party.

Zahid, according to the report, said Anwar should trust Umno, for instance, to decide on who should be appointed chairpersons or board members of GLCs and GLICs. He also reminded that the Barisan Nasional’s 30 seats in Parliament had helped Anwar become prime minister.

“That is why I said kari pullay. When you are about to cook curry, you put the kari pullay leaf into the pot, and when you want to eat, you put it aside. If you want to be friends, behave as if you want to be friends and trust us, insya-Allah we will not betray a friend,” he added.

This is an interesting analogy, for it is true that most of us discard the curry leaf when eating food. It is probably because we think it has done its job of enhancing the taste.

Zahid received resounding applause from the Umno delegates when he drew the analogy between curry leaf and political friendship or partnership.

I presume this was because the delegates were either guilty of leaving aside the curry leaf when eating or had observed others doing it.

Zahid’s use of the Tamil word for curry leaf is also interesting. Most people pronounce it as “karu pullay” but it should be pronounced “karu vepillai”. “Karu” means “dark”  and “vepillai” refers to the neem leaf, as both are somewhat similar, with medicinal properties.

His specific mention of the curry leaf in Tamil is indicative of the fact that he mixes with Indians. After all, 23.9% of the 76,495 voters (2020 figures) in his Bagan Datuk parliamentary constituency are Indians, mostly Tamils.

Mention of the curry leaf also shows that Zahid is a grassroots man, for if you don’t mix with the grassroots, such an analogy is unlikely to be part of your thinking process. And the fact that the delegates – from the grassroots – clapped demonstrates that he chose an appropriate analogy.

As a journalist, I have only covered Zahid a few times in the past but I can say that if anything, he is down to earth. And shrewd. So, his choice of analogy hit the mark.

And I’m sure the flavour of the curry leaf analogy will not be missed by Anwar or others.

But Zahid, I think, has failed to realise that this is exactly what BN partners MCA and MIC feel. In their mind, they are the curry leaf that Umno has set aside after growing politically strong, at least until 2018, with their help.

I have in recent times spoken to several grassroots MIC members who feel Umno made use of them to form successive governments from the time of Malaya’s independence to 2018 but has now sidelined them – just like the “karu veppilai” in the curry.

FMT reported Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin as saying on Nov 30 last year that the MIC had applied to join the opposition coalition. According to a Jan 21 report, PN had accepted the application.

The MCA too had been mulling quitting the BN but on Jan 16 – on the sidelines of the Umno assembly – confirmed that it would remain in the coalition.

However, MCA members have made it known that they feel Umno has neglected it in becoming closer to the DAP – its arch rival for Chinese votes – in the unity government.

If one were to stretch the analogy, one would find that many Chinese and Indian citizens feel that their contributions to the growth and development of the nation – especially the economy and civil service – have been blotted out or minimised in recent decades.

In my interactions with them, I learnt that they feel official Malaysian history does not reflect their solid contributions. Some even feel unwanted.

The minorities who helped build the nation – together with the Malays – feel exactly like the curry leaf that Zahid talks about.

Talking about the curry leaf, it was only in my later adult years that I started eating it. Prior to that, like most people, I would push it to the side of the plate or banana leaf if I was eating off the latter.

This is because I had learnt that the strongly aromatic “karu veppilai” does not just add flavour to food but also has immense health benefits.

The curry leaf, with the botanical name murraya koenigii, is a common ingredient in curries, chutneys, and stews in South Asia and Southeast Asia. For thousands of years, Asians have known that the herb helps improve appetite and digestion, and is good for overall health.

Indian mothers, for instance, feel that the “karu veppilai” helps the body break down food more effectively, preventing constipation and indigestion; and aids in maintaining a healthy gut.

They know that it is medicine taken with food.

Literature on the health benefits of “karu veppilai claim that it is an antioxidant; has anti-inflammatory properties; has anti-diarrheal properties; has anti-obesity properties; fights free radicals; can help control blood sugar levels; and contains compounds that can lower LDL cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

The curry leaf apparently can strengthen hair follicles and prevent premature greying. Some claim it can help prevent liver-related diseases and improve eyesight. Animal studies show that it holds promise of protecting against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

The humble curry leaf is said to be packed with vitamins A, B, C, and E, and contains calcium, iron and fibre.

So, if you are one of those who discards the curry leaf, stop doing it because all its beneficial nutrients may not have been absorbed by whatever food has been prepared. The curry leaf is important – don’t discard it.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.