Kedah MB in a rather tight spot
Putrajaya sources say that Najib has no problems with Mukhriz. However, the same cannot be said about the Umno factions in Kedah. These detractors can sense an opportunity and they are starting to take aim.
Joceline Tan, The Star
It is an awkward and difficult time for Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir who is under pressure to declare his loyalty to the Umno president while staying loyal to his father.
DATUK Seri Mukhriz Mahathir has been caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place ever since his father Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad began his campaign against the Prime Minister.
The Kedah Mentri Besar tried his best to stay out of it.
He avoided discussing the matter with Umno leaders in Kedah and has managed to sidestep the issue with the media.
But everything has sort of blown wide open after the vocal Bukit Lada assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Lebai Sudin openly challenged Mukhriz to resign as Mentri Besar if he could not declare his loyalty to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Mukhriz definitely did not see that coming. It was a dramatic and over the top way of confronting Mukhriz and it stunned the Umno political circle in Kedah.
Ahmad Lebai flew off to Japan the day after and will be back this weekend. He has told friends that when he returns, he is going to question whether “the MB’s office is based in KL or Alor Setar”, a reference to talk that Mukhriz spends more time in Kuala Lumpur, where his wife and children reside, rather than in Alor Setar.
It seems like Mukhriz is suffering some collateral damage from his father’s bid to topple Najib.
Dr Mahathir is pressuring Najib to resign, but elements in Kedah are now asking his son to do the same.
Ahmad Lebai’s outburst happened after a Sunday morning breakfast session between Mukhriz and Kedah Umno leaders including Umno division chiefs, MPs and assemblymen.
The Kedah leaders had been pressing Mukhriz for an official stand on the 1MDB issue and the escalating attacks by Dr Mahathir.
But Mukhriz has a modern leadership style and he wanted to hear what the party leaders had to say before he came up with a collective statement that will be publicised next week when the Umno supreme council meets.
However, there were gasps from around the table when he read out the draft statement, which reportedly expressed support for the Prime Minister, but added that the support would be pulled back if there was wrongdoing in 1MDB.
The more seasoned politicians immediately protested that it was not the way to go about it. These included the big guns like Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (former Mentri Besar and Padang Terap MP), Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Rahim (Baling MP and Tabung Haji chairman) and Datuk Johari Baharum (former deputy minister and Kubang Pasu MP).
The official statement was eventually toned down to something more diplomatic.
Most of the Kedah politicians have been rather circumspect around Mukhriz because they know it is an awkward time for him.
His loyalty to his party boss and Prime Minister is being questioned because he is also a filial son.
The only one who did not hold anything back was Ahmad Lebai.
When Mukhriz tried to explain his misgivings over 1MDB, Ahmad Lebai butted in: “We talk about the right and wrong of 1MDB another day. Our meeting today is to give support to PM.”
Are the knives starting to come out for Mukhriz?
Putrajaya sources say that Najib has no problems with Mukhriz, otherwise he would not have made the effort to officiate at the recent Kedah Umno convention or attend the annual meeting of Mukhriz’s Jerlun division.
However, the same cannot be said about the Umno factions in Kedah.
Mukhriz parachuted into Kedah first as an MP and then as Mentri Besar. The family name helped and even those who were not with him were silenced because they were simply grateful to get back Kedah.
But these detractors can sense an opportunity and they are starting to take aim. A picture is also starting to form regarding the detractors.
Ahmad Lebai is in Japan with Johari whom, as everyone knows, is in Dr Mahathir’s black books.
Johari was a former political aide to Dr Mahathir, but they have had a massive falling out. Johari is now a senior special officer to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein who almost lost to Mukhriz in the Umno vice-president contest two years ago.
The media is fond of painting Mukhriz and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin as rivals.
But Mukhriz’s main rival at this point in time is Hishammuddin. Apart from having vied for the vice-president post, they are only three years apart in age – Hishammuddin is 54 and Mukhriz is 51. Khairy, on the other hand, is only 39.
It is quite ironic that Dr Mahathir’s mission to bring down Najib may eventually result in de-stablising Mukhriz in Kedah. But Mukhriz has one major advantage. His standing among ordinary Kedahans, especially the younger set, continues to be very strong. He has not been able to bring much development to the state and he is struggling with a massive deficit state budget.
But he has pressed the right buttons and said the right things.
Despite the awesome family name and elite upbringing, he is quite without airs. He has a pleasant disposition and an easy-going style that sits well with the Kedah folk. He makes the effort to perform subuh prayers at the mosque and locals have also seen him at the mosque in the evenings. Things like these have endeared him to the people.
Kedah Umno’s forthcoming declaration of support for Najib will help take some of the heat off Mukhriz. One state executive member said that Mukhriz has kept his cool throughout his father’s tirade against Najib.
“He does not seem shaken. If he is, he is not showing it,” said the state executive councillor.
However, some noticed that he had asked for painkillers for his headache twice in recent days.
The pressure is building for Mukhriz. His detractors become bolder each time his father switches it up a notch.
