Scramble is on for Negeri MB’s job

PM and DPM visiting Seremban to try to unite feuding Umno factions.

SEREMBAN: Both the Prime Minister and his deputy will be in Seremban this weekend and the talk is that they are anxious to prevent serious rifts within Negeri Sembilan Umno amid a scramble for the Menteri Besar’s post.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will attend the Negeri Sembilan Barisan Nasional Convention at a hotel here on Sunday and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be in town tomorrow for a walkabout around the UDA Flats in the suburb of Ampangan.

Umno sources say both will take the opportunity to talk to prominent party leaders to heal rifts ahead of the 13th general election.

In most states, Umno is split into two camps. In Negeri Sembilan, however, there are more than three factions.

The most dominant of these camps is the one headed by Bagan Pinang state assemblyman Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, who was Menteri Besar for 22 years. He still commands support from most of the Umno divisions in the state.

The current Menteri Besar, Mohamad Hasan, controls only the Rembau and Rasah divisions.

Works Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor, who is the MP for Tampin and heads the Umno division there, is aligned to Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, controls Jelebu, his parliamentary seat. He is aligned to neither Isa nor Mohamad.

Umno sources say Najib is proposing that both Isa and Mohamad (photo) contest for parliamentary seats in the coming election. He may tell Isa to contest in either Telok Kemang or Jempul and to remain as Felda chairman. Mohamad may be asked to contest in Rembau. The plan is to give Mohamad a ministerial post.

According to the sources, Najib wants Shaziman to be the Menteri Besar and is asking him to contest for the Gemencheh state seat. They said Shaziman was resisting the move because he preferred to serve at federal level.

“He is not keen to be the Menteri Besar and wishes to remain as Works Minister,” said one source.

Three leading candidates

This has opened the floodgates to ambitious warlords. The sources said at least three prominent Umno leaders were eyeing the Menteri Besar’s seat.

The front runner is the most senior of them, Ismail Lazim. He has served three terms as state assemblyman for Senaling. He heads Umno’s Kuala Pilah division and has served as state executive councillor for two terms although he maintains a low profile.

But Kuala Pilah MP and Kuala Pilah Umno deputy chief Hasan Malek is also interested in the job. He is a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and is not known to be aligned to any faction. Umno insiders call him a “lone ranger”.

Another candidate is state Umno secretary and Rasah Umno division chief Hasim Rusdi. Menteri Besar Mohamad prefers him as his successor.

But Isa’s camp has already started lobbying. They are putting out the word that only he can bring the different Umno factions together.

“Isa (photo) is the only leader that commands the respect of other BN component parties, especially MCA and MIC,” said one of his supporters.

“He is also the only Umno leader in the state who is well liked by Chinese and Indians. To get back the two-third majority in Negeri Sembilan, we need Isa.”