What if?
What if the Agong decides to do a “stunner” and rejects Mohd Najib Tun Razak as the candidate for the post of the Malaysian Prime Minister even though he won the UMNO elections (uncontested) and is now the party president? Not probable but not impossible either.
If such an event did happen, I would venture that HRH would do what the Sultan of Perak did when Pakatan won the state elections after the Political Tsunami one year ago. He will probably get UMNO to submit a list of acceptable candidates for his “absolute and final” royal decision and they will probably consist of the same group of suspects – Muhyiddin Yassin, and possibly Rais Yatim. Why these two?
The young guns Mukhriz (son of Mahathir) and Hishammuddin (keris-mudin, son of Hussein Onn) are just too young, too green and too emotional. The rest including Syed Hamid (spoilt goods), Thamby Chik (ex-rape suspect), Khaled Nordin (way too inexperienced), Mohd Shafie Apdal (petroleum angel of price hike), Jamaluddin Jarjis (alleged molester), Zahid Hamidi (ex-Anwar supporter), Mohd Khir (alleged racist), Mohd Ali Rustam (Yayasan Darul Fitrah controversy and ISA supporter), Mohd Isa (money politics and guilty of corruption) and Mohd Mohd Taib (kurang understand Ingleesh in Australia) are not of the material that is mandatory to be PM.
Perhaps someone from the second tier? Nah… Onn Ismail (daughter alleged khalwat problem), Badruddin Amiruldin (court jester), Mohamad Nazri Aziz (too rich and controversial) and Ahmad Bhari (who?) are not nationally exposed enough for the position and neither do these people possess sufficient grassroot support nor Warlord patronage to be on the list. Same with Abdul Fattah Abdullah and Mohammed Radzi. No women either as UMNO is not prepared to accept a female as the PM.
Tengku Razaleigh (unforgiven ex-Semangat 46 founder) is also out of the question as exhibited by the number of votes he obtained in the UMNO nominations, even though his royal connection is advantageous and seen as the most moderate of the lot. So, who else is there except these duo?
Muhyiddin Yassin is not all “angelic” as well as he was the most vocal anti-Abdullah senior UMNO member together with Mukhriz. Seems a bit “shifty” as well – won’t look straight into the camera during interviews. Rais Yatim was plagued by the Rohan Gunaratna’s book controversy when he screamed Hell but had to shut up (real fast) after Mahathir said that the contents of the book were “tada problemo”.
Okay, supposed the Agong has nothing against Najib becoming PM. Who will benefit from it? First and foremost, it will of course be Najib as he will be the 6th PM of Malaysia. Who else thence will benefit? I would say those of his clique from the UMNO Youth days including Jamaluddin Jarjis (also Pekan-born), Shafie Apdal, Ahmad Hamidi and Mohamed Nazri Aziz. Others include Azman Mokhtar (MD of Khazanah), Mohd Nadzmi Salleh (ex-Proton CEO), Mohamed Azman Yahya (ex-Danaharta CEO), Shahril Shamsuddin (Sapura Group CEO), Mohd Nor Yusof (ex-SEC chairman), Gan Wee Beng (ED of CIMB), Rohana Mahmood (Ethos Capital chairman), Tan Kay Hock (Johan Hldgs CEO), and Syed Mokhtar (DRB-Hicom, who is even closer to Muhyiddin).
So, who will be the next PM of Malaysia and who will rise in tandem with him?
-Hakim Joe
