Umno’s explosive Supreme Council meeting tomorrow

Zainal Epi, MMO

The Umno Supreme Council meeting slated for tomorrow may be a heated one as senior members of the party discuss who is responsible for “blowing up” the president’s comment on a coalition with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and PAS.

It is likely that Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s comment will be discussed at the party’s political bureau meeting in the morning ahead of the Supreme Council meeting in the afternoon.

Some say that Datuk Lokman Adam may be “grilled” for going to town with Zahid’s comment.

He may also be questioned about Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s disciplinary case which was abandoned by the disciplinary board apparently on the directive of the party president.

Lokman had demanded that action be taken against the president but the matter was laid to rest.

Many political analysts and activists said Zahid’s unprecedented and unofficial idea of working together with Bersatu and PAS to form a “backdoor government” stemmed out of the several discussions made earlier by Hishammuddin and those close to the prime minister who is also Bersatu’s chairman.

Whatever it is, the matter has become the talk of the town, making Umno look like it is begging to work with Bersatu instead of walking tall after defeating the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in five consecutive by-elections.

The discussions in the supreme council will likely centre on Lokman’s blatant disregard of proper procedures and may divert the whole meeting from the more important topic of whether Umno should take the course of Zahid’s idea or abandon it and stay the course ― work with PAS in Muafakat Nasional.

But whatever the decision, the party leadership level seems to be split. Party grassroots do not want to work with Bersatu or in this case Dr Mahathir as the ruling coalition is seen as being under the influence of DAP.

Still, there is Dr Mahathir’s reputation as a shrewd politician who still has control over how politics in Malaysia is played out.

Given such respect and fear of the prime minister, Umno leaders are at odds about which decision they should make tomorrow night.