Umno tsunami set to sink PPBM
K. Parkaran, Free Malaysia Today
A wave of anti-PPBM sentiment swept the country the last three days when at least three quarters of the Umno divisions decided on a “No PPBM in GE15” resolution, with many vowing to field independents in any seat where the party leadership decides to give way.
That, even, included Pagoh, the seat now held by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
To some political observers, it appeared to be the start of a push for a snap election with Umno withdrawing support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) and going independent, which would leave Muhyiddin with no choice but to dissolve parliament.
Obviously, such a major political strategy could not have taken off without an able and influential general in the ranks, but one can only speculate who that is at this point of time. Some are convinced it is former prime minister Najib Razak but that’s only speculation.
Taking a common stand and representing grassroots members, the 143 divisions out of the 191, also warned the Supreme Council that there would be serious consequences if it continues to cooperate with the party. They threatened to field candidates of their choice as independents against PPBM contenders.
One party leader said if he were Muhyiddin, he would have every reason to worry. During this “noisy weekend,” the silence from the PPBM leaders who would usually react loudly was deafening.
The only reaction came from the two parties’ common partner, PAS, and even that appeared like a whimper considering the tsunami that seems to be engulfing Malaysian politics. PAS could just call for unity from its two strategic partners, who were already locking horns.
According to a Whatsapp message being circulated among Umno members, they will not back down from this threat even if they faced the sack from the party.
“The members have decided that they will do this at all costs. Whatever happens, we will fight Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) at every corner.
“If the Umno leadership decides to go ahead and cooperate, we have unanimously decided we will not work for the party in GE15 and will cease to operate all election machinery,” it said.
The onslaught last week appeared to many as being the start of a concerted effort by the anti-PPBM movement in Umno, and it was no coincidence that strong statements were coming from Umno leaders and MPs who were not directly benefiting from the PN government.
After the Pulai Umno division passed a resolution urging the party to pull out of PN on Friday night, most of divisions started taking a similar stand over the next two days. This was followed by equally strong words from many of the Umno leaders who seemed to be wielding some control in the party.
This was followed by the slap in Muhyiddin’s face by his former Pagoh division, which defied the Johor PN’s plea to allow the PPBM president to defend his parliamentary seat. The division flatly voted against it, declaring that an Umno candidate would contest it, come what may.
As if this was not enough, outspoken Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi congratulated the division for taking this stand.
Of the group that may be leading this “No PPBM” move, the most prominent was former president Najib who said that if Umno does not pull out of PN, it would be a matter of time before it perishes, and loses its reputation in the process.
This was followed by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who said the party will respect the call by the 143 divisions and said the supreme council will meet on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
In a direct blow to PPBM, to which many MPs had crossed over after being elected on an Umno ticket, both Zahid and his deputy Mohamad Hasan announced that the party would contest all the seats it had won in GE14 and in others where it finished second.
This effectively means most of the PPBM seats will be contested by Umno, and the architects of the infamous Sheraton Move may not have any hope of getting new seats. Effectively, the wave last weekend has paid put to PPBM’s future.
The same would go for the leaders of the PKR breakaway faction led by Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin who are holding senior positions in the Cabinet thanks to Muhyiddin. Umno political insiders say one of the party’s main target is to wipe out these leaders in GE15.
An interesting observation that some felt was significant in Umno’s weekend blast appeared to be the party admitting that its moderate image had taken a beating after its tryst with PAS to destroy PH.
Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin did not have any qualms admitting that many upper class and liberal Malays were upset that the party was being viewed as an ultra-Malay and Islamic party, which also resulted in loss of support and confidence from its non-Malay supporters.
“The reality is we have to rule the nation together with the other races if the country is to progress,” he declared.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan joined the bandwagon by asking for a snap election as soon as possible now that the Covid-19 vaccine is available. He said PN simply cannot continue governing as it has the ‘slimmest majority in the world.’
The explosion in Umno over the weekend must have also shaken PAS up as it is tied to Umno in Muafakat Nasional and PPBM in PN. At the moment, PAS seems more comfortable with Muhyiddin as he decides on the Cabinet positions and the chairman and board positions in GLCs.
PAS is also facing an uphill task in trying to explain to its members its soft stand on issues like gambling, the sale of alcohol and liberal laws that the Islamist party was fighting hard to eradicate when it was in the opposition.
With Umno’s hard stance against PPBM, there is talk that there is going to be another political upheaval in Malaysia but unlike the one last February, it will not involve realignment of political forces. Instead, it will be a change in government through an election.
Covid-19 or not, Umno is hell bent on pushing for a snap poll as it feels it can not only win back power but also annihilate PPBM, and other rivals, in the process.
