‘Weak’ Najib vs ‘disobedient’ Muhyiddin

Kita president Zaid Ibrahim says that all is not well in Putrajaya and warns the premier that he may see a repeat of the coup that sent his predecessor packing.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kita president Zaid Ibrahim suggested the possibility of a rift between Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin since the latter consistently contradicted the premier’s policies.

The former Umno law minister said voters could see Najib’s leadership as weak following the failure to discipline Muhyiddin’s open display of inconsistencies.

“Someone asked me if there is a power struggle going on in Umno right now. I said no, only in the Cabinet. This poser was perhaps brought about by the way Muhyiddin skilfully contradicted Najib on several important issues,” said Zaid in a statement today.

He cited Muhyiddin’s open contradiction of Najib’s effort to foster racial harmony under his 1Malaysia clarion call when Muhyiddin declared he was “Malay first” and “Malaysian second”.

Zaid also alleged that it was a known fact that Najib would like to have Science and Mathematics to be taught in English but Muhyiddin, who is the education minister, decided against it.

Almost immediately speculation that there was a split between the two spread in light of Najib’s inaction but the two subsequently denied the allegation and attributed the rumours to the opposition.

Zaid said several days ago, the deputy prime minister once again refuted Najib’s decision openly – this time on his administration’s plan to set up a Parliamentary Select Committee on polls reforms.

The move was seen as an attempt to contain the likely voter backlash from Najib’s administration’s high-handed handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally. It was also seen as an admission that Bersih 2.0′s demands for electoral reform were valid.

Muhyiddin, however, said the committee was merely to “tweak” an otherwise clean elections system.

Najib must take control

Zaid then cited how the deputy prime minister was the key architect in the coup to remove former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi with the support of the latter’s powerful predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He pointed out that the prime minister must take control and must be seen as having control of his Cabinet to prevent a repeat of the coup within Umno that saw Najib take over the reins in 2009.

“Is history repeating itself? I hope not but the PM must lead. He must show us clearly who is boss. His ministers are his subordinates in government. The Cabinet is not the Politburo of the Central Committee.

“The people are looking for leadership. They will not understand – nor will they follow – a leader who is repeatedly refuted, corrected, contradicted or rebuffed publicly by any minister, for such an individual is no leader at all.

“The PM must be resolute and stay the course of change. If he can do this, he will surely be rewarded with the support of the people,” he said.