A 'reluctant' man these days, Muhyiddin watches his back as Umno infighting boils up

Muhyiddin Yasin is a very reluctant man these days. You might ask, what is it that he is so reluctant about - almost everything it seems! But like it or not, the 64-year Deputy Prime Minister and Umno No. 2 has to get going. Sooner or later, he has to make tough calls - no more coasting along or riding on former premier Mahathir Mohamad's coat-tails.

You see, these days, Muhyiddin is facing a huge dilemma. He is reluctant to relinquish his post and at the same time is unwilling to get involved in the growing feud between Mahathir and Najib. As a mere number two, Muhyiddin is very aware he has little to zero say when it comes to key party or national issues. Najib does not need his approval or to even discuss critical matters with him. What has been decided by Najib is up to Najib and for Najib to further decide.

No real support of his own

Despite such an ignominious second-fiddle role, Muhyiddin is actually be glad not to get involved in any cross-fire, especially not of his own making. Not right now, anyway. Those who have been speculating Muhyiddin was trying to upstage Najib in the coming Umno internal elections were right. Slowly but surely, Muhyiddin plotted and planned his race-championing 'Malay first-Malaysian second' campaign to gain favor with Umno members. But suddenly - or ever since he took refused to back off from Mahathir's beloved Math and Science in English policy - things soured.

All too quickly, it became clear to all in Umno that Muhyiddin didn't really enjoy that much support from the top Umno players including Mahathir. They also took note that Muhyiddin did not really have that much money or grass roots support. Doubt took the upper hand and Muhyiddin found himself once again on the fringe of the main Umno leadership trunk.

Allowed himself to be used

To an extent, this is a position he has to accept because of his own willingness to be used by those fighting for power. Before 2008, when he threw his support behind Mahathir and Najib, Muhyiddin had aligned himself with the then prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, and son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin. This of course led to the National Feed Corporation, a beef supply project that Muhyiddin awarded to the family of Wanita Umno leader Shahrizat Jalil, in his capacity as Agriculture minister.

Badawi and Khairy were looking beef up their portfolio of 'achievements' to the nation - no pun intended. At the same, they wanted to help Shahrizat, who was part of their camp and was then popular enough with the Wanita grassroots to pose a challenge to Rafidah Aziz, the long-time Wanita chief and Mahathir loyalist.

For this now, Muhyiddin finds himself being systematically routed by Najib's advisers. To the Najib camp, NFC not only enables them to replace Shahrizat with someone more friendly to them, but also allows them to 'smuggle' in Raja Nong Chik as the next Umno candidate for the Lembah Pantai, which is Shahrizat's long-held parliamentary seat before she lost it to PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar. Above all, it allows Najib to stamp out once and for all Muhyiddin's pretensions to his throne. Or so Najib thinks.

Can Najib really succeed, will Muhyiddin fade away without a fight? Really, only time can tell. The Great Umno Civil War has just begun and first salvos may have been fired. But for sure, the fight is not over yet and if the 13th General Election turns out to be the most filthy-ever vote fight, the internal Umno tussle will put it to shame!

Najib also went after Dr M

All eyes are now on Mahathir. Previously touted to be the King maker, Mahathir lost a lot of credibility within Umno when Najib openly thumbed his nose at the older leader last week, by allowing the courts to make an independent decision and acquit Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim from sodomy charges.

In the past, the wily Mahathir used Muhyiddin to play off against Najib, but Najib now has the NFC dagger pointed directly at Muhyiddin's throat. There is not much Muhyiddin can do, or so Najib believes. Umno watchers are of the opinion Muhyiddin should forget about the premiership. Why not just support Najib all the way?

Things are never what they seem to be in intrigue-filled Umno

The reason is actually simple. Muhyiddin is a seasoned and self-made Umno trooper. He knows that nothing is permanent in Umno. Things in this party can be very deceiving indeed. Najib may think he is smart or rather, his advisers may think they are smart, but actually Najib is regarded as being the clumsiest politician amongst the country's 6 prime ministers.

This then is Muhyiddin's dilemma and why he is such a 'reluctant' man these days. He doesn't want to make any move just yet because he can't see how the chips are likely to fall. So, twiddling his thumbs, Muhyiddin is now engrossed with his dilemma - for how long should he hold on; when should he let go and when should he make a break and gun for Goal!

A fool and his crown will always be parted

The fact is Najib may try all he can to keep the Umno crown. A vain main, he likes to give the impression that he is winning all the time. His more matured rivals let him do so, but all in Umno are very well aware that there is no certainty that Najib will remain in power in the near future. In fact, the closest to certainty is that Najib will be out of the Umno top seat by 2013, whether it is Muhyiddin or Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein or some dark horse who takes over from him.

This is why Muhyiddin won't give up yet. He will just lie low because he knows the forces against Najib are coming from all sides - from within Umno, from the opposition and even internationally. Yes, Anwar and the Pakatan Rakyat have succeeded in making Najib‘s Political Transformation Program an object of interest to the international community. Even ex-US envoy, John Malott, sees fit to break protocol and publicly deride the Najib administration for being "all talk, no action" in not implementing electoral reforms to ensure clean ballots despite lots of empty promises to the effect.

Mahathir may still need him

Additionally, Muhyiddin knows that Mahathir is not likely to succeed in forcing Najib out and installing Mukhriz as the Prime Minister without his help. It is impossible for such a greenhorn as the lacklustre Mukhriz to reach the top seat so soon, even if the 86-year-old Mahathir is impatient for it to happen. The grand old man of Umno will just have to wait. The best he can do is to secure a vice presidency for Mukhriz. But what Mahathir really needs is a seat-warmer. And this was part of the original deal before the Math and Science in English brouhaha that upset Mahathir and shook the dice once again.

To make sure everyone - those who matter in the Umno elite that is - is happy, Mahathir had touted a plan to limit everyone to one-term as PM - something which Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor took exception too and is trying to fight. Muhyiddin would take over from Najib and Hishammuddin Hussein from Muhyiddin and Mukhriz - Mahathir's beloved youngest son - would then succeed Hisham.

Chances are high that this plan will somehow stick, despite all of Najib's efforts to cling on. So where does this leave Muhyiddin? How should he play the game?

Keeping a low profile and Ghafar Baba

Basically, there is only one way Muhyiddin can go, and that is to talk much less than before. Malaysia's DPM and Umno's No. 2 will keep a low profile, just like Rosmah, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. Let Mahathir, Najib and even Anwar make the headlines and Muhyiddin would be happy with it. He has got nothing to lose by keeping quiet; moreover the Umno infighting is reaching boiling point.

Muhyiddin should also emulate the late Ghafar Baba, a former deputy prime minister. Ghafar was a simple and humble kampong or village man and he had his own brand of integrity. A teacher, he was acceptable to many people and was able to mediate in many internal disputes within Umno and even the BN component parties like the MCA.This is a skill that Muhyiddin clearly lacks and also foolishly removed from his own reach with his Malay-first Malaysian-second stand.

Tun Ghafar passed away years ago, remembered as being a good man but a dull, second-line leader. In his last years, he managed to sire a daughter with a younger second wife. Wits in Umno jest that this is something that Muhyiddin can contemplate while waiting to catch the next bandwagon rolling through their party!

Malaysia Chronicle