Many people are playing a guessing game that puts Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the picture as well to replace Najib.
KUALA LUMPUR: The question on everyone’s lips these days is no longer about when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would be forced to call it quits, said a political analyst, but who would replace him as Prime Minister. “Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has said that the matter should be left to the party.”
“If that’s the case, taking the cue from Mahathir, there are no prizes for guessing that Muhyiddin Yassin as Deputy President would become Umno Acting President and Prime Minister. The party would have to follow the hierarchy and tradition to keep it in tact.”
Still, added Shahbudin Husin, many people are playing a guessing game that puts Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the picture as well. “Zahid is only a Vice-President and is just one of the three elected. It would be a bad precedent if he becomes Prime Minister while the party still has a Deputy President, groomed all this while to be the Prime Minister, and who goes on to become Acting President and Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman.”
The analyst thinks that between Muhyiddin and Zahid, more MPs are likely to back the latter if polled. “These lawmakers may be tempted to beat a path to the palace to install Zahid as Prime Minister.”
“Just imagine a situation where the head of government was not the head of the party.”
The next Prime Minister coming in hinges on when Najib would go, he said. “It’s clear that he’s no longer wanted by the people, no matter how hard he tries to spin the narrative in his favour. Even his most fervent supporters are falling silent one by one. That’s telling!”
Shahbudin conceded that Najib appears to have managed to cover-up his wrongdoing, while continuing to attempt to sweep them under the carpet, and acting against the authorities concerned when they get too close to him in their investigations into wrong doing in Putrajaya. “He can manipulate things in the country while persuading the rural folks to support him for no rhyme or reason.”
The jurisdictions abroad are a different matter altogether, added the analyst, and would act where authorities in Malaysia have failed to move. “In the countries abroad where reports have been lodged on the 1MDB case, the betting is something will turn up and Najib would be forced to face the consequences.”
“Between Mahathir, international investigations, the people and Umno members, Najib would be forced in the fullness of time, 3 to 1, to step down.”
Again, said the analyst, it’s difficult to see when the people would have some good news in the form of Najib’s departure. “All the people know is that as long as investigations continue on 1MDB and related issues, there will have to be closure one way or another.”
This would be the reason, reiterated Shahbudin, why people are no longed focused on the question of when Najib would go but who will replace him, probably since Deputy Umno President Muhyiddin Yassin was no longer Deputy Prime Minister. “Again, between the Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister, if not held by the same person, the Deputy President has a stronger claim to be Prime Minister. A mere Vice-President would not be able to pull it off as Prime Minister when, again, the party has a Deputy President waiting in the wings.”
The analyst pointed out that anything can happen as recent developments have seen new exposes turning up. “We don’t know what new evidence will turn up tomorrow in the international media against Najib.”
“We don’t know what new steps will be taken by Mahathir in his campaign to oust Najib.”
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