Rompin the catalyst to eject Najib – Sir Wenger Khairy

If you perform even a cursory survey of the big pro-Umno blogs that don’t censor comments, you would notice an abnormality. Previously, most of their readers were pretty laidback about opinions and rarely commented, either ‘pro’ or ‘against’ the articles.

After all it takes a bit of work to pen down your thoughts and you usually did so if you were paid to provide comments, or were one of the 2,000 government propaganda specialists. And the Malays who read Umno blogs are by nature the “Alif Ba Ta” sort and do not like to condemn their own government.

However, ever since the introduction of the GST, the number of comments appearing on the pro-Umno blogs has increased dramatically. And they are almost 90% against Najib.

Let’s face it Najib is a political liability. As a leader he has no moral authority having ducked and dived at any attempt to clarify the 1MDB issue. The Malays were at first confused at what 1MDB was all about, being misled about assets, liabilities, Cayman island funds and playboys. But now they finally get it – people close to Najib are robbing the country of billions of ringgit. The evidence trail is in their words “bersepah di Internet.”

So Umno right now is in a political quagmire. The question is whether to support the president or support the party? At the grassroots, the base is firmly with Dr Mahathir Mohamad in wanting Najib to resign and leave. Dr Mahathir’s blog is accessed by millions and by many leaders at the grassroots. Even supreme council members meet to air their complete dissatisfaction with Najib’s leadership.

However, at the establishment level, Najib seems to have control over the supreme council as well as has received choreographed support from all wings of the party.

But the support Najib received is superficial. Calls have emerged from Umno division leaders for Najib’s confidante, the billionaire playboy Jho Low accused of masterminding the 1MDB scandal, to return to the country to face investigation.

The powerful Umno Vice-President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, has stated in the plainest manner a politician could ever say, that Najib is covering up 1MDB.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who was wavering in supporting Najib and supporting Dr Mahathir, has veered back to Tun’s camp. There are rumours of a coup planned by Pemuda Umno.

And perhaps most worrying is that there are more and more members of parliament who are getting fed-up with Najib. The anguish by the Sepanggar MP on the thousand ringgit GST bill was answered arrogantly by Datuk Ahmad Maslan. The arrogance of Ahmad Maslan characterises the Najib administration perfectly.

We believe in the end, history will repeat itself. In 1999, Najib was merely several hundred votes of losing the Pekan parliamentary seat, an event that were it to happen would have saved the country from the current stress.

No doubt, Najib was fed nice stories because he likes nice stories. “Situation ok. Semua under control.”

The same thing is happening right now.  Najib’s political operatives are feeding good stories to the PM while they line their pocket so that their needs are taken care of up to the 7th and 8th generation. But the ground has shifted and Najib is now looked at as being an unnecessary liability.

What Umno requires right now is a catalyst to shock the powerful ketua bahagian as to how precarious their political situation would be if Najib continues to govern.

Losing Rompin would certainly drive home the point. After all, losing one seat is nothing compared to losing the general election.

* Sir Wenger Khairy reads The Malaysian Insider.