Move to remove MBs a no go?

(fz.com) – The  attention has now shifted to an “impending” cabinet reshuffle.

Out of the blue, Terengganu Umno Youth has seen it appropriate to pledge loyalty to Terengganu MB Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

Not that their loyalty is being questioned.

In  pledging the open support,  its chief Mohd Johari Abu Bakar was quoted as saying “Terengganu Umno Youth supports Datuk Seri  (Ahmad) no matter what  – as we want Umno and BN to do well in GE 14”.

Such pledges of loyalty are nothing new, especially in Umno. And not peculiar. Still the act in Terengganu on Wednesday somehow has raised many an eye brow.  Is there more than meets the eye?

Anyway speculation that the PM will replace two MBs is already old news.

The new news is the move to remove the duo is off. Well that’s what the talk is now. Within “inner circles” of Umno.

Even from a well connected party source who 48 hours ago was so sure of the move that he named the two MBs and put forth at least one name of the would be successor. Off record, of course.

Now he’s been told the “change of guards”, so to speak, “will not happen.”

So did Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia (which “broke” the news) get it wrong in saying  Datuk Seri Najib Razak will replace the two MBs?  Bear in mind many within (and outside) Umno had “swallowed” the story believing it had the  “blessings” of the party leadership  as  it was a “deliberate leak from the Umno higher ups”.

Said a source close to Utusan: “At the time of writing, Awang Selamat got it right.  But after the story was published, plans changed”.

Why?  The response  from party insiders  varies – from  “the PM had a change of heart”  to “the PM needs to readjust his strategy” to “the PM got cold feet  in the wake of resistance from certain quarters in the party”.

If that is to be believed, then to say the obvious, Umno MBs and Ketua Menteri will remain where they are. Hence the  attention has now shifted to an “impending” cabinet reshuffle.

However talk of Najib reshuffling his cabinet has been making the rounds for quite some time with some political observers predicting it will take place in October.

Now such talk is picking up again and a source close to Putrajaya says the reshuffle “is confirmed and it will be soon. Before October”.

But it’s given that the PM will have to reshuffle his cabinet if not for anything else,  to accommodate the  MCA after the party had overturned its earlier decision not to accept government posts.

Meaning Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein will soon be acting transport minister no more – “freeing”  him to focus on Mindef  solely.

Yet speculation is rife a senior minister is to relinquish his very important portfolio  with another senior minister albeit younger set to take over. This is seen as a “promotion” for the younger senior minister.

A Putrajaya source denies this though.

The source is “made to understand”  there will only be “minor changes.  It’s not a reshuffle per se. More of a reorganisation of sorts.”

And the source likened the situation to a “school principal bringing in a new teacher here and  a back-up teacher there”.

Overly simplistic? Perhaps.

Still we get the picture, don’t we? Reality or otherwise – we can only wait and see.