Dr M’s criticism won’t shake Najib, say analysts

By admin-s On Sep 17, 2014

(TMI) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s continued attacks on Datuk Seri Najib Razak will not succeed in toppling the prime minister, said analysts, because there is no one else capable of holding the top job.

They added that Najib’s Cabinet and Umno colleagues, together with Umno daily Utusan Malaysia, have also rallied to defend him against Dr Mahathir’s stinging criticisms last month that stopped short of asking for the prime minister’s resignation.

Political observer Khoo Kay Peng said unlike the case of former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, there are no obvious suitable leaders that can take over from Najib now.

“In Pak Lah’s case, it was clear that Najib is the obvious successor,” he said, referring to Abdullah by his popular moniker.

“But currently, I don’t see any person who can takeover from Najib. Unlike the last time, this time there are no push factors,” he added.

Following internal pressures, Abdullah quit as prime minister and Umno president in April 2009, a year after the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) poor showing in the watershed 12th general election where it lost its customary two-thirds federal majority and Najib took over the posts.

Dr Mahathir, who started criticising Abdullah in 2006, recently wrote in his popular blog that he was withdrawing support for the Najib administration as many of his criticisms had fallen on deaf ears and that he disagreed with the prime minister’s current policies, although he had said he did not want Najib to quit.

In his latest tirade against Najib, Dr Mahathir had told Malay NGO, Ikhlas, this week of his fear that BN would lose the next general election if Najib continued to be the prime minister.

“Tun (Dr) Mahathir was quite clear on this. He is firm in his stand that he is not in favour of PM. He said BN may lose GE14 if Najib continues to rule,” Ikhlas president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah had told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

While Dr Mahathir is trying to achieve something – and the jury’s still out on what exactly he wants by his continuing criticisms against Najib – any changes of leadership can only be effected within Umno and right now, there is no such move, Khoo noted.

“Currently, not many people are willing to do so because Najib is giving them, including right wing elements, a lot of room,” said the independent analyst.