Mahfuz: Muhyiddin, Ku Li wield axes, Najib fears for his head

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Najib Tun Razak has sensed that his head could be on the chopping block, and it is his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin who is wielding the axe.

According to PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar, the postponement of the Umno elections was an indication that the prime minister could be “uncertain about his position” in the party which he took over last year.

"I believe Najib is sensing his political mortality, that his position as Umno president is not guaranteed. He is now waking up to the realisation that his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin is a threat.

"Najib knows that Muhyiddin sees himself as more Malay than him (Najib) and has no qualms about flaunting this with his (Muhyiddin) open support for Perkasa as compared to Najib,” he said.

"Najib is also aware that Umno members see Muhyidin's stand and image as more suited to lead the party,” he added.

Galas – second lease of life for Ku Li

However, Mahfux said there was also another threat to Najib in the form of former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who is commonly referred to as Ku Li.

The PAS leader said since Barisan Nasional's recent victory in Galas, Razaleigh had enjoyed renewed acceptance from Umno members, particularly amongs influential veterans who had discounted his ability to lead.

"Now there is a group which wants to see Razaleigh return to mainstream Umno politics and Najib is aware of this," he added.

Najib had appointed Razaleigh, who is the MP for Gua Musang, to lead BN's charge to recapture the Galas state seat in Kelantan from PAS.

His appointment was met with much opposition within the party ranks in Kuala Lumpur and in his Gua Musang division with some even going as far as calling Najib's decision “poor judgement”.

Mahfuz said Najib's 18-month deferment of all Umno branch, division and supreme council elections on the pretext that the party needed to focus on consolidating itself was also a clear admission that the crisis within Umno had not ebbed.

"Najib knows that a party election now will plunge Umno into the abyss of factionalism and disarray. It just shows that Umno is suffering from an internal leadership crisis and things have not been resolved," he said.

Yesterday Muhyiddin said that the postponement was to strengthen the party "where members won't be preoccupied with contesting for positions", adding that such postponements have been done before.

However it had not stopped people from speculating that the adjournment was to give way for a general election. - FMT