Zam: Muhyiddin’s expulsion a daydream

Najib may want Muhyiddin to wither quietly in the party instead and that’s something that’s set to happen in the run-up to the next party polls.

KUALA LUMPUR: If Awang Selamat – the collective pseudonym for Mingguan Malaysia Editors – thinks that Umno President and Prime Minister Najib Razak will expel sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin from his Umno deputy presidency as well, “he’s day-dreaming”, said a former Information Minister in his latest blog posting.

“Najib is not Mahathir. While Najib is also an opportunist, efficient at this and smooth, he prefers to be a silent killer while keeping an elegant silence. He wants Muhyiddin to wither on his own in the party, cut off from funds because he has no government positions, and hence eventually abandoned by all. That’s the culture in Umno. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Hishammuddin Hussein will move up instead as they can gather support around them in the party.”

Zainuddin Maidin concedes that Muhyiddin not only faces death in the party but it will also be day-dreaming to say that the Umno number two will go for the party presidency at its next outing.

Najib, reminded Zainuddin, would have never become Prime Minister if Muhyiddin had not been brave enough and had not made sacrifices on his behalf. “Again, by Najib expelling Muhyiddin from the Cabinet and not the party deputy presidency, he made a very big blunder with which he has to live with.”

In many management books that he has read, said Zainuddin , the theory is that it’s not the done thing to retain someone who has become a thorn in the flesh. “If the thorn was not removed, it will become even more dangerous, its effects spread and will lead to infection, turn septic and there would be pus.”

Awang Selamat has ventured that Najib faces the same challenges as Mahathir Mohamad during his time, noted Zainuddin. “However, Najib will not be so brave as to do a Mahathir. The latter has a long history as a big opportunist, a smooth operator, and wise, behind his poker face.”

What’s clear behind Awang Selamat’s latest piece, Sejarah Berulung (history repeats), was to see Muhyiddin, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Umno Vice-President and sacked Federal Minister Shafie Apdal removed from their party posts or stripped of their memberships, noted Zainuddin, as once done by Mahathir to Anwar Ibrahim and Razaleigh.

“The trio, in his eyes, committed a cardinal sin by appearing at a press conference with Mahathir.”

Awang Selamat claims in his latest piece, added Zainuddin who was also a former Editor-in-Chief of Utusan Malaysia, that the message from his Tuan Besar (big boss) was that the actions of the trio were in conflict with the spirit and principles of the party or any party wherever which frowns on such behaviour in public. “Awang Selamat writes diplomatically that Umno will overcome this crisis as well, precipitated by the trio, as it had weathered successfully so many other crisis previously, as political upheavals were nothing new in the party.”

In other words, it’s being implied that it was not uncivilized to straight away “sack them, expel, or drive them out”, Zainuddin quoted Awang Selamat as advocating.

He argues that the leaders in Umno do not have the calibre of Mahathir who was not only brave but strong during his time. “Mahathir always tried to choose the safe and sure path and even he was not brave enough to show himself until the actions of others gave him a golden opportunity to capitalize on them.”

“He has resorted to this strategy many times and emerged safe every time.”

Zainuddin recalled that Mahathir took a very high risk when he moved against Anwar Ibrahim, who at that time was not only the party Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, but had almost the total support of the Supreme Council. “Only one or two Supreme Council members were not with Anwar.”

“All the Umno warlords, the divisional chiefs, were with Anwar.”

Anwar, said Zainuddin, also had the support of many organisations, the students and even opposition parties. “It was do or die for Mahathir as a political animal. He acted firmly, and just like a doctor, surgically removed and killed his rival in front of his warlords who were slaves to him.”

If not for Ibrahim Ali being at the Umno Supreme Council meeting that fateful night, claimed Zainuddin, Mahathir would have been history as party president and Prime Minister. “When Anwar fought back against Mahathir during the Supreme Council meeting, Ibrahim Ali thumped the table and that made the other Supreme Council members abandon their support for the embattled party deputy president and the tables were turned.”

“The Supreme Council members, all opportunists, betrayed Anwar and defected to Mahathir’s side.”

Ibrahim Ali, said Zainuddin, argued that Anwar was a traitor and one who did not know the meaning of gratitude and wasn’t at all thankful to Mahathir. “Ibrahim Ali proved himself a true Umno loyalist and acted to save the party in its hour of need.”

Ibrahim , he continued, was no ordinary Kelantanese and his character could be likened to that of Abdullah Ahmad who remained loyal to Tun Abdul Razak under similar circumstances. “Mahathir himself never expected Ibrahim to emerge and defend him in facing a critical moment to stave off challenges. There was no pact between them.”