Lim Kit Siang’s wish to ‘save Malaysia’ and also to save UMNO for Mahathir is being realised

Umar Mukhtar

But a Parliamentary vote still augurs strongly in the contingencies. Even if Najib is removed as President of UMNO it does not mean that he is automatically expunged from the prime ministership. He still needs to resign first. It is a point to note that he may not resign if he still enjoys the support of the majority of MPs. No one else can remove him.

That scenario appears unlikely because UMNO MPs will not be expected to support him. But do not discount the remote possibility that Najib forms a new party comprising of MPs who support him. UMNO Baru Baru, anyone? UMNO Supreme Council or not, UMNO EGM or not, technically it is still Parliament that holds sway in a parliamentary democracy.

So Mahathir is working through UMNO warlords after all. Surprise! Surprise! Deals galore! Let’s hope that all those who signed the declaration are going to be sitting down together with Mahathir as the deals are being made. Or would the opposition have already been ditched by Mahathir by then?

Already there are murmurings that warlords are prepared to go along with Mahathir provided he ‘leaves’ them alone. So chances are it’s business as usual in the UMNO that we know except that Najib is no longer the boss. Mahathirism resurrected, the king-maker is now re-employed, and the country is back to square one. Thanks to wet-behind-the-ears do-gooders and Lim Kit Siang who actually had his own plans.

Mahathir had tried these approaches on his own before this but he had made no headway. So he turned to the opposition with the hope that he will be fruitful this time by borrowing the facade of insurmountable support. My belief is to the contrary. UMNO is further away from Mahathir’s grasp now because how do you explain a political party needing the help of its opposition to revamp its own leadership structure?

Any Supreme Council member nodding to Mahathir now is nodding to its opposition. What a ball-less proposition. Mahathir had a better chance before he slept with Lim Kit Siang. The politicians nowadays consider that politics is about teams fighting in a league to make money. My team against yours. What’s my transfer fee? You want me to be a substitute for the sake of the people? Are you mad? It’s about me playing in the winning team, okay!

Any UMNO politician worth his salt who switches to Mahathir’s ass should quit politics because a political party comes into being only because of the ideologies and beliefs it stands for. If you can trade that with the head of your boss, that is cowardice of the Mamak kind. So I take it that UMNO then no longer believes in its earlier fights? Mmm, I kind of suspected that. Well done, it takes outsiders to reform you, huh?

If UMNO is not giving up its fight but only its boss’ head, then with the injection of the new and vigorous Mahathirism, Lim Kit Siang will regret helping to resuscitate Mahathir. His hope that from a victorious but confused and split UMNO will emerge a fitting Malay partner to be mould into another Amanah, will turn to ashes.

LKS’ hope of ‘saving Malaysia and damning UMNO’ will turn to ‘saving Malaysia and saving UMNO’. Mahathirists have LKS to thank for.