Power play behind Umno resignations?
Joceline Tan, The Star
FOR weeks, there had been whispers that something big was cooking in Umno.
The pot seems to have boiled over with two former ministers resigning from the party and rumours that more big names will follow.
There are conflicting opinions over why Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Datuk Seri Anifah Aman left Umno within a day of each other.
One set of opinion is that the pair were unhappy over the party’s new direction.
Another set of opinion is that there is some powerful hidden hand at work.
This opinion group believes there is some grand design to poach MPs from Umno with the aim of shoring up Malay support for Pakatan Harapan.
Even then, they are divided on whether this is aimed at breaking up Umno or that it is being done with the tacit agreement of Umno leaders.
The diverse opinion out there has to do with the mixed signals from new Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He has been incredibly low-profile and quite mysterious about where he is taking Umno, apart from saying that he wants to keep his options open.
It is no secret that Dr Ahmad Zahid has been in talks with various parties about striking up a new political cooperation for Umno.
He has apparently secured a signed agreement from the majority of Umno MPs to initiate talks with other political parties.
To date, he has met with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and prime minister aspirant Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Dr Ahmad Zahid raised eyebrows when he led a delegation of top Umno leaders to the recent PAS muktamar. The cosy body language between Abdul Hadi and him was all too apparent.
It is understood that Abdul Hadi and other PAS leaders will be invited to the Umno general assembly later this month.
Last week, Dr Ahmad Zahid and several top Umno leaders held a hush-hush meeting with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya.
A source said it was to discuss the Malay agenda and how politics had divided the Malays.
The source said that Dr Mahathir, who is also Bersatu chairman, seemed concerned that Malay support will not be with Pakatan once he is no longer up there.
“There was nothing at the meeting to imply any sort of alliance.
“The discussion was on the well-being of the Malays and the betterment of the country,” said the source.
Although Umno leaders are desperate for a way out of the political wilderness they have been in since the 14th General Election, most of them are against entering into an alliance or partnership with any of their former enemies.
“Forget about any kind of backdoor listing. I am not for that,” said one top Umno figure.
Mobile chat groups are flooded with claims that more will be resigning.
Former Malacca chief minister Datuk Idris Haron has quashed speculation that he too will resign.
Idris has been put under extreme pressure in Umno ever since the state fell to Pakatan.
He has been pushed to the wall and it is possible that he had, at some point, been tempted to throw in the towel.
But the kampung boy told The Star: “You can take me out of the kampung, but you cannot take Umno out of me. But don’t push me over the edge or else I will exercise my option.”
Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has also denied that she will quit Umno.
“I haven’t even thought about it. My personal view is that you have more credibility if you leave when the party is at a high.
“Your value system should not change whether the party is in or out of power. But you leave when the party is at a low and that leaves a question mark,” she said.
At the heart of the speculation about hidden hands and a grand design is the fact that Umno has a huge cache of Malay MPs, although the number has since dwindled from 53 to 49.
The Umno rank and file believe that a rift is forming within Pakatan and they see the party as the kingmaker in the event of a hung Parliament.
Meanwhile, political commentator Dr Azmi Omar warns that the endless political games do not impress ordinary people.
“People were told that everything would be okay if we got rid of Najib (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak).
“But till now, there is no clear direction, the ringgit is being battered and prices of goods have gone up.
“For many rural people, if they paid RM1 previously, they expect to pay 80 sen now. Yet, every day it is non-stop politics rather than what the people really need,” Dr Azmi said.
