What Tun wants, Tun gets?

 

 

 

LET’S take a step further following Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s announcement that he will be contesting the Umno vice-presidency. And that “step” is to say he’s going to win. And at who’s expense? More of that in a while.

 

Question at hand: Do you agree Mukhriz will be voted in as one of the Umno vice-presidents? Political pundits seem to say “yes”. Considering the big influence his father still wields among Umno leaders and members alike.  

 

With a father who happens to be Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the picture, Tun Daim Zainuddin, another powerful and still influential figure in Umno can be counted on to lend support. Not forgetting the many pro-Mahathir bloggers, influential among Umno in their own ways. 

 

And some Umno watchers believe deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his supporters will throw their lot behind Mukhriz as well. With such a support base, how can Mukhriz not win?

 

When I first wrote some weeks ago on a big push for Mukhriz to contest the vice-president’s post, there were several posers which he needed to look into before taking the plunge. (See Mukhriz Mahathir: Will he? Won’t he?) 

 

Surely he has taken everything into account and is confident of his chances of making it. And of course there’s Dad who he can and surely must have consulted.

 

As for Dad, well his recent “no holds barred” interview with Umno paper Utusan Malaysia and his recent blog post said it all. That he wants his son to be elected VP. Well not directly. Still political commentators read Mahathir’s comments as that.

 

Comments like “Umno is dying of old age and needs renewal, new blood, new leaders”. That Umno will be shunned by the younger generation if they see leaders who are supposed to take over from “old” leaders are themselves “old”.

 

And the man who was Umno president for 22 years also said the party must rid itself of corrupt leaders who “do not bat an eyelid to even sell out their own bangsa”.

 

Mahathir did not name names of course. But two candidates eyeing the Umno vice-presidency this time – Tan Sri Isa Samad and Datuk Seri Ali Rustam – both had been found guilty previously by the party of “money politics” in Umno elections.

 

Mahathir ended his blog posting by calling on all in Umno to “return to the Umno struggle, cast aside personal interest and choose the young and reject the old”. 

 

That, to many an Umno watcher, is crystal clear as to what Mahathir is driving at.  

 

But in the same blog Mahathir said he was aware of “certain quarters” accusing  him of having a particular agenda – that he wanted to continue his legacy thorough his son.

 

Wrote Mahathir: “Perhaps by coincidence this can happen. But if because of this accusation I do not act for the good of Umno, then this will mean I am only concerned of my image and not my responsibility to the party. And if I want to help my son, I should have done that when I was prime minister.”

 

But to an Umno insider who was involved in the party GE13 machinery, it’s well and good that new blood is “infused” into Umno . “But not necessarily Mukhriz. KJ is new blood. Accept the fact KJ won on merit,” said the insider.

 

KJ is of course youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and the victory the Umno insider was referring to was the contest for the Umno youth chief’s post in 2009. 

 

Mukhriz came in third – behind Khairy and former Selangor MB Datuk Seri Khir Toyo. But then, that win was achieved when Khairy’s father-in-law, Datuk Seri (now Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was PM, although anti-Abdullah sentiment in Umno then (fanned by none other Mahathir himself) was high following BN’s dismal performance in the 2008 election. But that’s another story.

 

Mahathir’s support aside, Mukhriz has got the endorsement and full backing of Kedah Umno to contest the VP’s post. To that, the party insider had this to say: “Do not use artificial support from Kedah divisional heads as reason (to contest).”

 

“Artificial support?” I asked. The insider’s response was quick. “You ask division heads (should I contest?). Do you think they dare to say Datuk Menteri Besar, don’t contest?” Mukhriz, as we know, is Kedah menteri besar.

 

Still the insider “reluctantly” admitted that Muhkriz stands a good chance of winning. Already at least one blogger aligned to Mahathir is talking about a “succession plan” with some political commentators “predicting” Mukhriz could very well be deputy president by 2014.

 

“It’s ok to contest but do not link it to a succession plan. This will weaken (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak),” said the Umno insider – obviously the “succession plan” had riled him in the first place.

 

Now to the poser mentioned earlier. At whose expense will it be should Mukhriz grab one of the VP slots?