‘Zahid not a threat to Najib, Muhyiddin’

Despite obtaining the most votes during the Umno polls, vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not seen as a threat to the party's two top leaders.

PETALING JAYA: Umno leaders do not view Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a threat to the top two posts despite the vice-president’s resounding victory in the party elections on Saturday.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told FMT that Zahid was a team player and supportive of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Zahid is not a threat to the top two,” he said.

He was responding to speculations that Zahid was now set to replace either Najib or Muhyiddin during the next party elections in 2016.

Zahid, who is the Home Minister, obtained 188 out of 191 divisional votes and retained his vice-presidency along with incumbents Mohd Shafie Apdal and Hishammuddin Hussein.

“He is a key supporter of the PM and DPM and we are all happy he got a resounding result,” Khairy added. Khairy too managed to retain his Umno Youth post with a resounding victory.

Umno Cheras division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee echoed Khairy’s sentiments but added that Najib must give way for the younger generation to take over later on.

“However, this doesn’t guarantee that Zahid or even Shafie will be appointed as deputy,” he added.

Syed Ali said former Umno president Tun Hussein Onn appointed Dr Mahathir Mohamad as his deputy – bypassing top two vice-presidents Ghafar Baba and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

“Therefore it is the prerogative of the PM on who he wants to appoint as his deputy and ultimately become the next PM.

“But Zahid did very well. He had the support of the grassroots because they are confident of him. So his victory is good for the party,” he said.

On Sunday, Zahid said he and his teammates were retained as Umno vice-presidents because they carried the aspirations and thinking of the young.

Ahmad Zahid, 60, who was re-elected for a second term, said he and the other two vice-presidents would uphold the aspirations of the Malays and Bumiputeras.

He said the delegates’ faith in them would be used to help Najib and Muhyiddin continue Umno’s struggle in winning over the 6.5 million new voters ahead of the 14th general election.