Enemies of Jiu Meng want him locked out of Johor

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

Undeterred by his denial of being involved in the latest banner ruckus in Johor, enemies of PKR leader Chua Jui Meng are already plotting their next move and word is they want to petition the Sultan to issue a stern warning or even ban him from politicking in the state.

“This is not something you take lightly. The Johor Sultan is very powerful and if Jui Meng’s enemies can convince him it is the right thing to do, then Jui Meng’s goose is basically cooked,” an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.

Dastardly and devious

The 67-year old Jui Meng, a former Health Minister, has come under tremendous pressure since joining Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR party last year. His former BN colleagues have tried hard to get him to return to their coalition, but the efforts have so far failed.

In a move widely seen as a bid by Johor Umno and MCA leaders to publicly punish him for defecting and to discredit him to voters in the state, Jui Meng suddenly found himself stripped of two datuk titles by the Sultan earlier this year.

And earlier this month, in another move involving the Ruler, banners carrying the Sultan's picture and that of Jui Meng's with the words suggesting that the PKR leader was the next candidate for the post of Johor Mentri Besar were hung at strategic places for all to see.

It infuriated the Ruler and sparked at least 39 police reports against Jui Meng, who has already denied any involvement. “I categorically deny that PKR is involved in this sham. Only Umno has the motive to do such a dastardly and devious deed," he said.

The implications of booting Jui Meng from Johor

But the worst is yet to come. Will Jui Meng’s enemies really dare to try and get him booted out from Johor?

The consequences of such a move will be irreversible as it will surely trigger huge scars that will run deep and long in the Malaysian psyche. The prospects of racial unity will be delayed perhaps by decades.

Even amongst the Malays, many are confused by growing racism inherent in the BN rhetoric, which go starkly against universal good values. But sad to say, love for society may the furthest thing from Umno's mind.

“The Umno of today is vastly different to that in the past. It seems to have lost all sense of morality. The leaders are running scared because if Pakatan comes to power, a lot of the Umno elite will be hauled up for crimes of corruption. Hence the all-out gangster tactics because their skin is literally on the line,” a political analyst told Malaysia Chronicle.

Crunch time for Umno to use its brains

Johor is a jewel state with huge projects such as the Iskandar economic corridors and Mahathir Mohamad's infamous crooked bridge to Singapore.

But does BN really think it can defend the state by resorting to such tactics to scare voters into supporting them? Or will it only make voters even more determined to show them the door?

These are indeed the million-ringgit questions that Umno really needs to consider carefully before it takes such an irreversible and fatal step. For sure, it will lose the non-Malay vote to the Pakatan. Can Umno really survive just based on the Malay votes?

“It is really crunch time for Umno to use its brains. Cowboy tactics only make people hate Umno more. Not only the Chinese and the Indians but also the Malays are getting worried at its down spiral into immorality and thuggery. They will switch to PAS or PKR – does Umno really think it still has a monopoly on the Malays?” the analyst said.

Watch this video to learn more: