UMNO CHECKMATE: Najib may retain presidency but faces a HUGE DILUTION in power

KUALA LUMPUR - Johor Chief Minister Khaled Nordin is one of a crop of fast-risers in Umno who has emerged to deny he will contest for one of the party's 3 vice presidencies or a seat in the supreme council, which is the party's top decision making body.

"There's a lot of work in Johor. The job of a vice president is for the whole of Malaysia, which is why I want to focus on the administration of Johor," Umno-controlled daily Utusan reported Khaled as saying..

"It is not fair if I take any positions but am not able to give proper attention. It is not fair to those who supported me."

Another to issue a similar denial was Perak chief Minister Zambry Kadir.

"I am not contesting to make way for other qualified party members. Furthermore, as Menteri Besar I am automatically an Umno supreme council member," Zambry had told reporters at the Perak Umno Youth Aidilfitri open house.

Dark horses

Both Khaled and Zambry are viewed 'dark horses' in the Umno chase for power this October 19, which is when the party conducts its much-watched election for a new central leadership.

As chief ministers, they obviously wield enormous power over the Umno members in their states. As such, both men would be assets to any of the factions competing for control of the party's supreme council.

Khaled and Zambry are also known for their close ties to Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was the one who promoted them to their current powerful positions.

Khaled's denial has been eyed with especial interest, with party insiders only willing to say it was still too early. They believe that if called on by Najib, Khaled would be more than willing to throw his hat into the ring.

Najib's power may be drastically reduced: Lame-duck president and PM

In the Umno scheme of things, Khaled is actually a nonentity. He is only watched because of his position as Johor chief minister, not for any personal charisma or leadership quality. The same applies for Zambry.

If Khaled and Zambry do reverse their stay-away stance, both are likely to contest for seats in the supreme council, with the VP posts way beyond their reach for now.

"What Najib is trying very hard to prevent is a dilution of his powers in Umno. He may retain the presidency but so what? His men are not assured of winning and he won't be able to push through his agenda even if he is still president," an Umno watcher told Malaysia Chronicle.

"I think Najib was caught napping by his own propaganda. All this talk about no-contests for the top 2 posts started from his own camp and ended up misleading him. He thought he was ahead of the curve and his men in place. But the ground in Umno is shaking and suddenly he realizes that Mahathir may let him stay on as Umno president. But that's it, Najib would have very little power. He would be a lame-duck Umno president and because of that he would also be a lame-duck prime minister."

Wily veteran plots and schemes

The Umno watcher was referring to former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who is still very influential in the party.

However, there has also been red-hot talk that Mahathir might back Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to challenge Najib for the Umno presidency.

And lately, supporters of the wily veteran have also leaked rumors that he might let Najib stay on as prime minister but put someone else he trusted more to head Umno. Who that person could be remains an object of much speculation but names tossed out include Mahathir himself and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin.

If true, and if Mahathir's latest gambit works, then it would be the first time in Malaysia's history where the Umno president is not also the prime minister of the country.

Malaysia Chronicle