Umno free-for-all on the cards as stalwarts hunt for alternatives
On Sunday, Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi publicly lashed out at Mat Taib for not attending division meetings. The ferocity of his attack raised eyebrows, because Mat Taib has long been known as a party man.
Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle
Infighting among Umno divisions has taken a turn for the worse, as party stalwarts dissatisfied with the leadership offered by both their president Naib Razak and deputy president Muhiyuddin Yassin scrounge for alternatives of their own.
The latest ‘sacrificial lamb’ in the Umno power tussle that is fast shaping up into a free-for-all brawl was former Selangor strongman Muhammad Muhammad Taib.
Also known as Mat Taib or even Mat Tyson, the former Mentri Besar and Umno Information Chief is a staunch supporter of ex-premier Abdullah Badawi, who was ousted by Prime Minister Najib Razak last year. Mat Taib had challenged but lost to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for the Umno deputy presidency.
“There was huge fight in the Kelana Jaya division meeting recently. Because of that Mat Tyson was very upset at the way his former contributions are no longer valued by the new powers that be,” an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.
Unusually fierce attack
On Sunday, Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi publicly lashed out at Mat Taib for not attending division meetings. The ferocity of his attack raised eyebrows, because Mat Taib has long been known as a party man.
“He has shown a bad example as an leader with a lot of experience, as he seems to have no interest in the division which he leads, whether in attending its meetings or carrying out activities,” Bernama reported Puad as saying.
Puad, who is also Deputy Education Minister, also accused Mat Taib who was the Hulu Selangor Umno division chief from 1982 to 1998 of deliberately holding back his co-operation during the by-election which took place there in May.
“Don’t be extreme over a little disappointment and acting worse than those without any position, but must always be committed to the party’s struggles instead,” said Puad.
Indeed, the buzz at that time was that Mat Taib had wanted to be fielded in the contest. He was Selangor Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1997 and was rural and regional development minister from March 2008 to April 2009. He has also served Umno in varous other positions such as vice-president, state liaison chairman and information chief.
But Mat Taib has been inactive since Badawi’s retirement and was believed to have been eager to make Hulu Selangor his comeback, much like former Negri Sembilan chief minister Isa Samad had done in the Bagan Pinang by-election.
