As Umno gears up for GE14, Najib plans for next AGM

UMNO AGM | As the curtains fell on the 71st Umno general assembly, party president Najib Abdul Razak boldly proclaimed that momentum was on the party's side, with the wind behind its back.

The party and its leadership exuded confidence, posturing itself to win over Malay voters key to Umno and BN's survival.

But with Malay votes expected to be split three ways in the 14th general election (GE14), Najib is not taking any chances with either Umno or himself.

If the winds turn against him, the prime minister who has, until now, survived one of the world's largest financial scandals is determined not to suffer the fate of his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

In 2016, the Umno general assembly centred on consolidating power following a schism that led to the birth of its rival, Bersatu.

But this year, it is the opposition that is in disarray, with Bersatu facing deregistration due to its failure to hold an AGM, and Pakatan Harapan yet to secure a unified logo to contest under in the next polls.

"If they fail to even manage a meeting, how are they going to manage the country?" Najib had remarked in his policy speech on Thursday.

Without having to worry about beating back its enemies, Umno was able to focus this year on projecting itself as the only choice for Malays.

The message was simple: If Umno is ousted, then Malay privileges and institutions will be ground into dust, as both Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan are controlled by the purportedly anti-Malay DAP.

"If the opposition wins...the special rights of Malays, as the original forebearers of this land, from a noble and free race, will have their pride stepped on and their (position) in the centre sold.

"Worse yet, they will be vagabonds, cursed and despised, until they 'terbangsat' (become bastards) in their own homeland," the prime minister had said.

Meanwhile, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is currently Bersatu and Harapan chairperson, was demonised as a race traitor for working with the DAP.

Delegates and leaders hammered in this message daily throughout the past five days.

Increase in Muslim rhetoric

This year also saw an increase in Muslim rhetoric within Umno, with Najib using the term jihad (struggle) on several occasions.

"Umno's jihad is a pure jihad, don't retreat a single inch, don't be afraid...Umno will win this general election!" the party president said in his closing speech.

Najib was handed an additional gift by his friend US president Donald Trump, whose decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital gave Umno a timely opportunity to boost its Muslim credentials.

Najib and other leaders condemned the US’ move vehemently, while Umno Youth staged a protest (photo) outside the US embassy.

"Umno and Malaysia's Muslims will oppose this all the way.

"Ya Allah, destroy their plans (for Jerusalem)," Najib prayed.

This enhanced Muslim image is crucial for the party in GE14, as Umno faces not only Harapan in the fight for Malay support, but also PAS.

While the ruling Malay party believes it will benefit from three-cornered fights, it remained cautious about the unpredictability of such scenarios.

"Let us hope for the contests to be more than two-cornered, but we must look at the risks for some seats. In some seats, multi-cornered fights will not benefit us," Umno de facto deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

Winning over potential PAS supporters would help mitigate this uncertainty, and propel the party to victory.

A precarious contingency plan

The 1MDB scandal was non-existent at the general assembly, sending a message to Najib's support base that this was nothing to worry about, despite being Harapan’s trump card.

Instead, all eyes should be focused on the Najib administration's shiny achievements and plans, including the MRT, KL-Singapore High Speed Rail, and various goodies under Budget 2018.

When the prime minister was asked at the post-AGM press conference if he was confident about securing a two-thirds majority in the polls, he replied: "The mood is good, momentum is on our side."

However, this was a pledge that was absent from Najib's closing speech, despite him saying two days earlier that, God willing, Umno would rule for 1000 years.

It was a sign that beneath the bravado, there is still uncertainty for the Umno president about the AGM after GE14.

The motion to secure his and Zahid's (photo) position at the top of Umno appears to indicate that there is a contingency plan in place, despite Najib's denial of having had a hand in the move.

The motion would ensure mutual political survival for both leaders, should things not go as planned in the general election.

However, if things really go south for Umno, the motion will not guarantee Najib’s position in the party.

Instead, just like his predecessor Abdullah, Najib may be strongarmed into quitting as president should Umno and BN fare badly in the polls.

The current parliamentary term expires on June 26, 2018, which means that GE14 must be called within 60 days from that date.- Mkini