ZAHID’S GREATEST FEARS NOW A REALITY: CAUGHT BETWEEN ISLAM & 1MDB SKULDUGGERY, DPM LOOKS SET TO BE NAJIB & ROSMAH’S NEXT VICTIM

When the Suluk invaders showed up in Sabah, it was defense minister back then, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who took charge of the “war” by taking over from home minister back then, Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn. Hisham was considered “soft” in dealing with the intruders and true to his image, Ahmad Zahid went on to prove that he was a “jantan sebenar” or real man by swatting the enemy with a sledgehammer to kill a fly.

If Ahmad Zahid went overboard, no one cared, especially Malaysian prime minister Najib, who strongly stressed not an inch of the country can be taken over by the Suluk. Eventually, Najib deposed off of his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin and replaced him with Ahmad Zahid, a supposedly fitting tribute for his stoic loyalty and faithfulness to the prime minister.

But now that loyalty of Zahid to Najib is being put to a stern test amidst a scandal over a letter purportedly written by Zahid asking Najib, as the Malaysian prime minister, to step down over a series of nerve wrecking scandals that have rocked the country. Zahid is now on a roller coaster ride with Najib over the turbulent waves that have hit Malaysia.

Zahid’s dilemma

It is easy to commiserate with Zahid, actually he has a lot of good intentions and is sincerely concerned over the suffering and plight of Malaysians, especially the Malays, in the face of the backlash from the 1MDB saga. But Zahid is a man in turmoil and confusion and perhaps wishes now that he is not in the current position where he has to come to terms with Najib’s gambit.

The pity Malaysians in the know who are watching the unfolding political play for Zahid is real and genuine as they feel he should not be really in the difficult position he is caught in right now but far more comfortably placed as the deputy prime minister of Malaysia. What really is Zahid’s greatest dilemma is that now he has to compromise greatly on his principles and convictions to toe the line of Najib.

Zahid is seen as an ardent and devout Muslim and he is loathe to do things that go against the grain of the teachings of the Islamic faith. This is why the friction between Najib and Zahid is now beginning to boil over and it looks as if it is only a matter of time before there is a high noon showdown between the two and their supporters and followers.

Zahid taking tougher stance

There has been a lot of buzz over the letter by Zahid asking Najib to step down but most of Najib loyalists dismiss it as a forgery. But there seems to be a thaw and the relationship between Najib and Zahid has become frosty leading up to the UMNO General Assembly earlier this month and there are signs on the horizon that the Najib and Zahid ties are now on the rocks.

Lending credence to this is the rumor mill where down the grapevine it is Hishamuddin who has asked Zahid to step down, seemingly to make way for him to be the replacement deputy prime minister as he enjoys a cozy relationship with Najib by virtue of being related to him through a cousin’s relationship. Najib probably is of the view that blood is thicker than water.

But Zahid has dug in deep and looks set to combat any move to oust him and this has invariably led to a division in UMNO where support is divided for Najib and Zahid. On the surface it looks as if all is well between the top two leaders of Malaysia but there are stirrings of discontent in the camps of these two men that is set to complicate the run up to the 14th general election.

Not smooth sailing

It was envisaged by Najib that with the dismissal of rebel, Muhyiddin Yassin, everything will be smooth sailing when Zahid was appointed the new deputy prime minister. But Zahid is beginning to show that he has a mind of his own and is under considerable pressure to counter the ill-effects that have surfaced from the 1MDB fiasco whereby Najib has come under heavy criticism and condemnation.

While initially Zahid openly defended Najib now he is beginning to see that the prime minister has become such a great political liability that he is caught between his convictions as a Muslim to do what is right and proper or to keep covering for the shortcomings and weaknesses of Najib as a leader. This is why it is only a matter of time before his conscience acts up.

Allah is Great and Almighty and Zahid knows as a Muslim that eventually the truth will prevail. If Zahid has any real Islamic principles and convictions, if he is to be measured by the man that he claims to be, he must not hide from the truth but act conscientiously to do the right thing and eradicate all evil and wrongdoing from the governance of this country and set it on the right path towards the Greater Glory of Allah.

Christopher Fernandez

– MAIL BAG