KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — Just one day before Umno deputy presidential candidate Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam was officially barred this week from contesting next week’s party polls, the anger and frustration among his supporters had become palpable.
Some of his strongest backers wanted Mohd Ali, the 59-year-old Malacca Chief Minister, to consider resigning from the party if he was barred. They even wanted him to consider ruling Malacca as an independent, by asking Umno legislators in the state to also resign en bloc in protest.
But the career Umno man, who started life as a clerk in the National Electricity Board in the 1970s, would have nothing to do with such a move.
Still, the fallout from the decision of the Umno disciplinary board to bar Mohd Ali for vote-buying has shaken up a party which could do without any further schism. It is being read by many as a clear move by in-coming party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ensure his chosen man — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin — becomes the No. 2 man in the Umno.
Muhyiddin, the International Trade and Industry Minister and a former menteri besar of Johor, was thought to be a shoo-in for the deputy presidency.
If all had gone according to plan, Muhyiddin, 62, would sweep aside his rivals Mohd Ali and former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
Muhyiddin would then be confirmed as the new Deputy Prime Minister when Najib takes power as the country’s sixth premier after next week’s Umno elections.
“This was suppose to be Najib’s dream team, and together with Muhyiddin, they would build up a strong Umno and ensure a strong government to face off the challenge from the Pakatan Rakyat,” a senior Umno leader told Weekend Xtra.
But Mohd Ali had other ideas, and so did Umno delegates.
In the last few weeks, it had become quite clear to observers and Najib’s team that Muhyiddin was headed for defeat. Mohd Ali had emerged as a clear favourite.
Najib’s team began to act.
A number of Umno ministers were given assignments to talk up Muhyiddin’s prospects in a number of newspaper interviews. They also pointed out why Mohd Ali and also Muhammad were not suitable for the job of party No. 2 and DPM.
Both Mohd Ali and Muhammad could hardly speak English, they said. It was also noted that both were not federal legislators and as such would need to be appointed Senator just to be appointed into the Cabinet.
But despite their best efforts, Mohd Ali still looked strong.
This week, though, the axe fell on him.
The party’s disciplinary panel as well as Najib himself have been forced to come out to dispel the disquiet which has grown into loud rumblings of discontent among the grassroots.
“What is the difference between what Mohd Ali was found guilty of and what all the other candidates are doing?” said one Umno delegate at a recent meet-the-candidates session. “They should all be found guilty of money politics.”
At one recent meet-the-candidates session in Ipoh last week, Datuk Norza Zakaria, an Umno supreme council delegate, got the loudest applause despite having been charged in court a week earlier for vote-buying. And in Seremban on Thursday night, it was Muhammad who received the loudest applause.
The reason for this: Delegates who were backing Mohd Ali previously are now throwing their weight behind Muhammad.
As such, Muhammad, 63, is emerging as a dark horse and some observers now even say he is leading the race.
The emergence of Muhammad, a man who was once caught by Australian Customs officers with a suitcase full of millions of dollars in cash while he was still menteri besar of Selangor, has caused serious concerns in the Najib camp.
Earlier this week, 20 top party leaders were given assignments by Najib to campaign for Muhyiddin. They were told to do whatever it takes to bring in the votes.
“The situation is not good for Muhyiddin,” one of the party warlords given the assignment told Weekend Xtra. “In Johor, Muhyiddin is only leading 60-40 by our estimate, and that is his home state, so we need to do much more.”
The argument for Muhyiddin is simple. He is a very experienced politician, having served as Johor Menteri Besar, and is still a federal minister. His reputation is also untainted, compared with Mohd Ali and Muhammad.
But Muhyiddin’s aloofness has been the greatest setback.
Mohd Ali and Muhammad remain very popular with the Umno rank and file, because, some would suggest, the two men have used dubious means to garner that support.
Even former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had been forced to jump into the fray this week to suggest that candidates such as Muhammad were not suitable.
One of the main reasons why Najib’s camp want Muhyiddin as the party No. 2 is probably because a recent survey by the independent Merdeka Centre showed the public preferred Muhyiddin as the party’s deputy president and DPM.
If Muhammad is elected instead, there is a great fear among Najib’s camp that his new administration would be hamstrung in any possible effort to reform the party and the government. — TODAY (Singapore)
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