Selangor Umno cracks as leaders upstage each other

Noh is the Selangor Umno deputy chief. — File pic

Fierce rivalry and tantrums continue to split Selangor Umno as it struggles to find its footing more than two years after losing the country’s wealthiest state to Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Party members are split between Selangor Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Selangor Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo, both of whom are working “independently” and upstaging each other to impress state chief and party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Dr Khir, the former mentri besar, is widely blamed for losing Selangor in Election 2008 while Noh, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister, is seen as positioning himself as a potential mentri besar should Barisan Nasional (BN) win in the next general election.

“It looks like they are competing with each other for the limelight rather than working to strengthen Umno Selangor,” said a state assemblyman, who declined to be identified.

Last week, both took the PR state government to task for alleged irregularities in the lucrative and widespread sand-mining industry by holding separate press conferences to highlight alleged illegal activities.

Dr Khir took reporters to a site in Kampung Bukit Changgang in Dengkil on July 11, where he claimed an illegal sand mine was affecting the Paya Indah Wetlands, a nature reserve near the Putrajaya administrative capital.

However, Selangor sand-mining subsidiary Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) refuted Dr Khir’s claims and maintained the mine was sanctioned by the state.

Not to be outdone, Noh used a helicopter two days later on July 13 to get an aerial view of the site along with other sand-mining sites in Kuala Langat and Batang Berjuntai.

Outwardly both leaders have repeatedly denied a rift in their relationship.

Selangor Umno information chief Abdul Shukor Idrus also denied there was a problem between the two top leaders.

“Both leaders are still friends and there is nothing wrong,” the Kuang assemblyman told The Malaysian Insider.

However, it’s evident that both are struggling to stay politically relevant in the eyes of Najib, who has been distracted by his duties as prime minister.

Noh, the Tanjung Karang MP, is also fast gaining the support of Dr Khir’s Umno peers in the state assembly. The allegiance of Umno’s 19 assemblymen is said to be split between the two.

While most older assemblymen have some allegiance to Dr Khir, having benefited during his administration, others are waiting for a signal to see who Najib and Umno’s central leadership endorses.

A dark horse in Selangor Umno’s leadership tussle is Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, who was mentri besar from 1986 to 1997.

The popular leader, better known as Mat Tyson, still holds considerable influence over the Umno grassroots but has come under fire for being “missing in action” from his Kelana Jaya division which he has led since making a comeback to Umno politics.

Dr Khir is widely blamed for losing Selangor in Election 2008. — File pic

Having failed to win the party’s deputy president post in March last year, Muhammad had stayed away during the recent Hulu Selangor by-election despite being the division chief there between 1982 and 1998.

Party supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi over the weekend lashed out at the former Umno information chief for his behaviour, while others have called on him to relinquish his post.

Abdul Shukor however played down the issue, saying that Muhammad is semi-retired but has yet to make an official announcement.

“He has long delegated his responsibilities at the division to his deputy Datuk Yahya Bujang,” he said.

But party insiders scoffed at the notion that the popular leader would quit active politics. They pointed out that Muhammad’s re-emergence cannot be discounted as the seasoned politician made a comeback years after stepping down after being caught in Australia for carrying excess currency.

Also making headlines for the wrong reasons in Umno is four-term assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman.

Last month, the Sri Serdang lawmaker was rumoured to be quitting both his seat and as state party secretary after coming under attack from pro-Umno blogs for alleged incompetence.

His absence from a Selangor Umno management committee meeting stoked further speculation of a rift in the state leadership.

Satim, one of Umno’s most senior assemblymen in Selangor, subsequently denied the rumours and attended the recent state assembly sitting.

But there is still dissatisfaction on the ground against the veteran politician, who retained his state seat with a razor thin 45-vote majority in the 2008 general election.

“As Puchong BN chief he has never held a meeting since 2008 and he is never around,” claimed Puchong MIC chief Awtar Singh.

Awtar, who was once Satim’ special assistant, also alleged that the politician had failed in his responsibility as an opposition assemblyman.

“He has failed to speak up against the wrongdoing by the PR government,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

However, Puchong Umno deputy chief Datuk Radin Mokthar had previously denied any problems and said Satim had been conducting the party’s business as usual.

Satim was tipped to be state mentri besar after Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar resigned in 2000 but then-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad instead chose Dr Khir, who was then an Umno Youth committee member.

courtesy of Malaysian Insider