Hurt festers despite Umno hug fest

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Top leaders from Umno's 193 division met for three days in Janda Baik and ended their retreat yesterday with several rivals hugging each other in a show of unity for the next general election.

But other leaders were cynical about peace and harmony returning to the party particularly in the fractious Terengganu Umno where internal fighting has let to speculation that several state lawmakers may walk out.

Both Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said and his predecessor Datuk Idris Jusoh hugged each other at the retreat after party elders pointed that internal fighting was the main impediment in winning the next elections.

"They might have hugged each other but the body language showed how uncomfortable they were with each other," one Umno warlord at the retreat told The Malaysian Insider.

Others who also made up were Bukit Bintang Umno chief Datuk Azim Zabidi and his foe, division vice-chief Datuk Ab Rauf Yusof, while Federal Territories Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin buried the hatchet with Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil over issues in the Lembah Pantai Umno division.

Idris

But their differences continue to fester, the warlord added.

"There are no illusions among the party leaders that this show of unity is only at face value. The Terengganu situation remains dire," he said.

Senior party officials have told Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak that only the removal of Ahmad Said will satisfy state assemblymen aligned to Idris, whom the Terenggany royalty dumped as mentri besar after Election 2008.

Shahrizat

However, Ahmad Said continues to enjoy the favour of the Terengganu palace and will be hard to remove, forcing Umno colleagues opposed to him to consider walking out and precipitating a crisis in the oil-rich state.

Both deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein have been trying to solve the split and quash talk of defections but have drawn a blank.

Party leaders have also been trying to solve bad blood between Rauf and Azim, who was formerly the party treasurer and Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman, apart from the tiff between Shahrizat and Raja Nong Chik, who was surprisingly named minister early this year.

"It will take more than kiss and a hug to get everyone on the same page for the party. Personality conflicts always happen at the top," another division leader observed.

He warned that Umno has little time to get its act together and members united to face political rivals PKR and PAS in the next elections.

"Disunity caused us votes in some of the by-elections. At least this time in Bagan Pinang, we are united with one candidate," he pointed out, referring to Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Samad's candidacy for the Oct 11 by-election.