Umno’s future, Malaysia’s future
What can Malaysians expect?
"Umno leaders and members have always admitted that the question has never been whether there is corruption or not: it has been a matter of degree," Liow notes.
By Zedeck Siew, The Nut Graph
IT goes without saying that the upcoming Umno general assembly from 24 to 28 March 2009 will be about power transitions.
When the assembly closes, Umno will have a new president, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and the delegates would have chosen a new deputy president, three vice-presidents and the leaders for the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings, who are also vice-presidents in the Supreme Council.
As the new Umno president, Najib is widely expected to be made the next prime minister, barring any sudden political developments. Additionally, his deputy in the party will most likely, by convention, be made Malaysia's new deputy premier. Hence, Umno's transition of power is also a transition of power for the nation.
Many issues will crop up during the general assembly but the question that remains for the party and the nation is, does Umno have the kind of leadership the party and the nation needs?
Second in command
"To be successful, Najib needs to head a strong team. The choice of his number two is crucial," says emeritus professor of sociology and anthropology Dr Clive Kessler, from the School of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. "It must strengthen him and the government, be credible, and provide balance."
For associate professor Joseph Liow, a specialist in Malaysian politics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is the deputy president candidate most capable of fulfilling this role.
"Muhyiddin is seen in many circles as potentially the most competent. He clearly has a broader internal reach than [rival candidate] Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib," Liow says in an interview.
"Many among the younger cohort of Umno leaders see him as someone who would be their best bet as a reformer, to the extent that the party can really be reformed," Liow continues. He also points out that both former party president-hopeful Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh and former president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad have thrown their weight behind Muhyiddin.
