Malaysian Mirror
By Farah Azreen
By Farah Azreen
27 November 2009
UMNO has been embarrassed by a court ruling that one of its state seats in Kedah is up for grabs because the incumbent representative had been absent twice in a row from state assembly meetings
Furthermore, the party is in shambles and even with the able stewardship of Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal in Kedah, the party has still not come to terms with last year's election losses.
The allegedly erratic wakil rakyat Abu Hassan Sarif has filed an appeal to challenge the High Court decision that he is no longer the Kota Siputeh assemblyman and that his state seat is up for grabs.
But many Kedahans are not hopeful of an Umno or Barisan Nasional revival at the by-election, if there is one, or at the next general polls, scheduled to be held in 2013.
At the moment, they see their state as being stable under the Pakatan Rakyat administration, led by state PAS commissioner Azizan Abdul Razak, albeit a minor dispute concerning the stand taken by the DAP over a pig slaughter house several months back.
Comfortable with Azizan's leadership
It is said that even some Umno people are comfortable with Azizan, Kedah's 10th mentri besar and the first from PAS.
Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin also conceded that among the Pakatan-held state governments, the Kedah administration is the 'most steady' and least controversial except for the abattoir incident.
"With the image of the PAS-led state government untarnished, it would be an uphill task for the Barisan to defend the Kota Siputeh seat, in the event a by-election is held," he said in his blog.
Abu Hassan had defeated his PAS challenger Ismail Wan Teh by 495 votes; polling 8,160 votes against his opponent's 7,665 votes.
It is understood that PAS may be fielding Ismail again while the Barisan is not likely to give Abu Hassan a second chance as it does not want to be dealing with another 'tainted' candidate.
While a random poll, if it is carried out at this time, may suggest that PAS is the favourite to win the by-election, it would be a mistake for the party to under-estimate Umno, which is already moving on the ground to drum support against Azizan's administration.
For instance, one of the criticisms against the mentri besar is that his administration had failed to draw investments and, therefore, not bringing in much-needed money to the state coffers.
No longer in the limelight
Umno, though no longer hogging the media limelight in Kedah, now works silently and treading carefully when its campaigners enter Pakatan strongholds. Countering talk that Kedah Umno is now being led by a Sabahan, party members drive home the point that Shafie's father-in-law is a prominent local man from Sungai Petani.
Nevertheless, the questions still asked are: Is Umno a united party? Is Shafie well-accepted? Would Kedahans prefer another person to lead Umno? Who do they want?
As normal in Umno politics, there are 'warlords' and there are 'cliques' and 'camps'. And while Shafie is a seasoned politician and seen as a trustworthy leader, he is not able to stop these cliques and camps from rejecting his leadership in Kedah.
Amid this disarray, a certain name has surfaced; a man seen as capable to re-energise the party and to re-group the conflicting factions under one umbrella. He is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister, elderly statesman, leadership icon and a no-nonsense critic of Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
It is not that his supporters want to bring him into the mainstream to make him a wakil rakyat - certainly not to contest in Kota Siputeh - but more as a unifying factor to take on Azizan and the Pakatan leadership.
In other words, according to some party watchers, his role is to bring Kedah Umno "back on track."
Rallying support for leadership
This does not mean that Shafie has to be removed from his post as Kedah liaison committee chairman. Even in an advisory capacity, Mahathir's presence is seen as pertinent to back Shafie and to rally party members from all corners of the state under a single leadership.
While such formula would not be without its glitches, it is seen as the best idea at this juncture to prepare the party for the expected onslaught in the run up to the 13th general elections, when it comes.
Moreover, Mahathir is a familiar face and one who knows ever nook and corner of his home state. Not a man, woman or schoolgoing child has not heard of the icon who was Asia's longest-serving leader when he helmed the country for 22 years until October 2003.
Despite incessant attacks from critics, Mahathir is also much respected by his opponents and by record-breaking aspirants who admire his 'Malaysia Boleh!' spirit.
Kedahans in Umno is banking on his guardian light to once again bring the shine to the party. - Malaysian Mirror.
Comfortable with Azizan's leadership
It is said that even some Umno people are comfortable with Azizan, Kedah's 10th mentri besar and the first from PAS.
Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin also conceded that among the Pakatan-held state governments, the Kedah administration is the 'most steady' and least controversial except for the abattoir incident.
"With the image of the PAS-led state government untarnished, it would be an uphill task for the Barisan to defend the Kota Siputeh seat, in the event a by-election is held," he said in his blog.
Abu Hassan had defeated his PAS challenger Ismail Wan Teh by 495 votes; polling 8,160 votes against his opponent's 7,665 votes.
It is understood that PAS may be fielding Ismail again while the Barisan is not likely to give Abu Hassan a second chance as it does not want to be dealing with another 'tainted' candidate.
While a random poll, if it is carried out at this time, may suggest that PAS is the favourite to win the by-election, it would be a mistake for the party to under-estimate Umno, which is already moving on the ground to drum support against Azizan's administration.
For instance, one of the criticisms against the mentri besar is that his administration had failed to draw investments and, therefore, not bringing in much-needed money to the state coffers.
No longer in the limelight
Umno, though no longer hogging the media limelight in Kedah, now works silently and treading carefully when its campaigners enter Pakatan strongholds. Countering talk that Kedah Umno is now being led by a Sabahan, party members drive home the point that Shafie's father-in-law is a prominent local man from Sungai Petani.
Nevertheless, the questions still asked are: Is Umno a united party? Is Shafie well-accepted? Would Kedahans prefer another person to lead Umno? Who do they want?
As normal in Umno politics, there are 'warlords' and there are 'cliques' and 'camps'. And while Shafie is a seasoned politician and seen as a trustworthy leader, he is not able to stop these cliques and camps from rejecting his leadership in Kedah.
Amid this disarray, a certain name has surfaced; a man seen as capable to re-energise the party and to re-group the conflicting factions under one umbrella. He is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former prime minister, elderly statesman, leadership icon and a no-nonsense critic of Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
It is not that his supporters want to bring him into the mainstream to make him a wakil rakyat - certainly not to contest in Kota Siputeh - but more as a unifying factor to take on Azizan and the Pakatan leadership.
In other words, according to some party watchers, his role is to bring Kedah Umno "back on track."
Rallying support for leadership
This does not mean that Shafie has to be removed from his post as Kedah liaison committee chairman. Even in an advisory capacity, Mahathir's presence is seen as pertinent to back Shafie and to rally party members from all corners of the state under a single leadership.
While such formula would not be without its glitches, it is seen as the best idea at this juncture to prepare the party for the expected onslaught in the run up to the 13th general elections, when it comes.
Moreover, Mahathir is a familiar face and one who knows ever nook and corner of his home state. Not a man, woman or schoolgoing child has not heard of the icon who was Asia's longest-serving leader when he helmed the country for 22 years until October 2003.
Despite incessant attacks from critics, Mahathir is also much respected by his opponents and by record-breaking aspirants who admire his 'Malaysia Boleh!' spirit.
Kedahans in Umno is banking on his guardian light to once again bring the shine to the party. - Malaysian Mirror.
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