BN to give Saifuddin the boot?

Outspoken deputy Higher Education minister Saifuddin Abdullah (pic) may be dropped from UMNO's candidates list at the coming polls, according to a well known local political commentator.

Writing on his blog, Mohd Sayuti Omar quoted a source close to Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob as saying that the latter is not happy with Saifuddin's "approach and style", and as such decided to drop his name from the list prepared by Pahang UMNO liason chairman.

Saifuddin has frequently clashed with his cabinet colleagues on a number of issues, and has many times spoken out against curtailing campus freedom.

In 2011, he criticised the government's arrest of some 1600 protestors at the Bersih rally for electoral reforms. More recently, he personally contacted outspoken student KS Bawani, who was shown on a viral YouTube clip being publicly humiliated by a BN propagandist during a forum at the pro-government Universiti Utara Malaysia.

Sayuti however claimed that Adnan and other veteran leaders were not satisfied with Saifuddin's 'new politics'.

"Saifuddin is among a section of younger UMNO leaders who have tried to embrace new politics by being more professional and mature and not virulently loyal to UMNO's ideology," he added.

Sayuti, who earlier predicted that UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin would also not be named as candidate, said that Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob could be fielded in the Temerloh parliamentary constituency, where Saifuddin is the incumbent.

He said this was because Ismail may face problems in his own constituency in Bera, where there may be a possible protest vote against him from among Felda settlers there.

Sayuti also claimed that attempts are already underway to justify Saifuddin's ejection, including through personal attacks touching on Saifuddin's alleged less than cordial family relationship.

-Harakahdaily