Is Mukhriz a casualty in Mahathir’s war?
Najib probably no longer cares about what pleases or displeases the former PM.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
Mukhriz Mahathir, Menteri Besar of Kedah, has been a figure of some controversy within Umno for quite some time now. As the son of Najib’s most outspoken critic, former PM Mahathir Mohamad, Mukhriz chose to stand behind his father in efforts to unseat the current PM. Notably, he stood with a coalition of Umno’s top leadership that called for Najib to resign, a group that included the likes of Muyhiddin Yassin and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Now, Mukhriz faces a challenge in his own state, with about a hundred Kedah Umno leaders present at a press conference on Tuesday where it was announced that he had lost their confidence. Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, who made the announcement, claimed that Mukhriz had failed to unify the party arms throughout the state, that he had no strategic planning in mind to face the coming general election, and that he had managed the state government poorly.
It is important to note that among those who made their presence noticeable at the press conference were Ghazali Ibrahim, Johari Baharom, Azeez Rahim, Jamil Khir Baharom, Rozai Shafian, Norashimah Mohd Nowar, Shaiful Azizy Zainal Abidin and Maznah Abdul Hamid. These are known Najib supporters. As members of the party, they are of course entitled to their point of view, and if they truly have lost confidence in Mukhriz’s leadership, they are entitled to that view as well.
