Najib collaborate with Anwar? Nah… unlikely!
Another Brick in the Wall
The moment the Azilah’s legally ridiculous Statutory Declaration surfaced recently, after being kept a secret upon being signed in October, Raja Petra Kamarudin made a suggestion that Dato Najib Tun Razak could collaborate with Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim to topple Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Whether RPK is making a forecast or is genuinely suggesting or it is a bait, it is not the subject of this posting. He and moi are writers thus free to write.
This posting is merely an attempt to make sense of the latest episode involving Dato Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Dato Seri Hishammuddin Hussein Onn, and Dato Lokman Noor Adam with regard to UMNO’s Disciplinary Council show cause letter to Hisham. Relevant or not, it could be linked to Mahathir’s current trip to Japan, Jawi-Dong Zong commotion in Kajang, and possibly the Chin Peng’s ashes-CPM-no Republic protests.
RPK’s “suggestion” for Najib to collaborate with Anwar may have came about from speculation that Mahathir foresee his plan to block Anwar will fail should they both collaborate.
It is unlikely to happen for many reasons as it will be touched one by one as one reads along. Sorry no easy and quick soundbytes. One has to read to know.
Running out of time
With Zahid Hamidi able to get all the UMNO MPs to agree to “decide” en bloc at the Tamu Hotel, Kampong Baru, KL meeting before the UMNO General Assembly as revealed in his closing address, he may have made Mahathir restless.
The ever suspicious Mahathir may be looking at the possibility of UMNO considering the option to back Anwar should he play hardball and insist on “my way or highway”.
To Mahathir, Zahid is Najib’s proxy. The perception may not hold true anymore, but a perception that remained since the Reformasi days of late 90s and early 2000 till today, is that Zahid is close to Anwar.
Mahathir cannot take that chance with Zahid. Between Najib and Zahid, the former is more a pain in the ass for Mahathir than Zahid. It is easier to handle Zahid than Najib. With clock-like precision, the Azilah SD was revealed after GA. There was also a window of opportunity.
Towards the end of the GA, there was murmurs within UMNO of Salam 400 with the Divisional Youth Chiefs and suggestion of Najib forming a club with the Division Heads. It didn’t come from Najib’s mouth, but the organiser of the get-together with Najib.
Someone within UMNO may have stirred out of proportion Najib’s sincere concern for the financial constraints of delegates to come to KL and his intention to touch base. They speculated he was making a comeback. Such talk begin to make its round when Najib was appointed BN Adviser.
It could have come from any factions. Heard Zahid’s people were uncomfortable. But the moment it came out on social media and blog, one could sense Najib will get it again and those with backchannel to Mahathir will be suspects.
One “former” politician with a past with UMNO, reformasi movement, ADIL and then back into UMNO claimed an inside source told him that Mahathir’s time is up.
He will remain PM only till May 2020 because the last PH Presidential Council meeting, after PPBM’s colossal loss at Tg Piai, decided on Mahathir to step down, Anwar to takeover, and no more public comment on power transition.
In the Council meeting, Tan Sri Muhyiddin expressed agreement to the plan. Strong talk is he will be made Deputy Prime Minister to Anwar but remain a stump as power will be with Anwar and the Lims.
