Three names in line for Umno top post

 IT is clear by now that Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not stepping aside as Umno president.

The calls for him to resign have given way to expressions of support from the party’s Wanita wing.

The Wanita chiefs of several states, including Pahang, Selangor and Sabah, are standing by Ahmad Zahid, with some of them criticising those who had asked their president to go.

The Bagan Datuk MP is a democratically-elected president, he is staying put and his hold on more than half of the 191 division heads is still as strong as ever.

But that has not stopped people in the party from looking ahead beyond Ahmad Zahid.

They are too polite to say it but many in Umno see the writing on the wall and they know that the party needs a credible prime minister (PM) candidate to face the general election.

“They are already talking about succession. That’s politics for you, ” said supreme council member Datuk Alwi Che Ahmad.

From left: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

The opinion in the party centres around three names - Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

“They will be under the microscope over the next few months, ” said a political risk consultant with ties to the party.

Everything they do or say is already being scrutinised.

For instance, the mobilisation of army personnel to assist flood victims in some of the worst-hit areas in states like Sabah was perceived as an effort by Ismail Sabri to stamp his mark although he was merely carrying out his duties as Defence Minister.

Anyway, the army did an excellent job and Ismail Sabri is basking in it.

When Hishammuddin shared a picture of himself with Datuk Seri Najib Razak on social media, it was read as a sign that the cousins, whose ties were quite strained after 2018, are together again.

That is important because Najib in his Facebook persona as Bossku, is a major opinion shaper in Umno and among ordinary Malays. His views and comments on issues and politics are widely shared on Umno chat groups.

“You don’t really need Najib’s approval to win but if he is against you, that will be a problem, ” said Alwi.

Mohamad, better known as Mat Hasan, was seen as trying to be statesmanlike when he told those who are against Ahmad Zahid that political differences in Umno should not be at the expense of the party’s image.

These are three very different personalities eyeing a party post that has traditionally been associated with the premiership.

Ismail Sabri is apparently the leading contender among the Umno rank-and-file. The exposure he gets from his TV briefings on the MCO or movement control order has boosted his image.

But he is a genuinely pleasant and down-to-earth person who has not allowed success and position to change him.

He is also the top vice-president in Umno and commands a strong network among the powerful division warlords.

However, his detractors are painting him as some sort of modern-day Ghafar Baba. The late Tun Ghafar was a well-liked deputy PM, respected for his loyalty but was generally unremarkable.

His closest rival Hishammuddin is widely acknowledged as PM material. He has the package - experience in government, a famous family name, good looks and the ability to mingle with anyone from Kings to the kampung people.

“Foreign Affairs suits him beautifully but he has yet to be tested on tough issues, ” said lawyer and former Batu Pahat Wanita Umno chief Haliza Abdullah.

She said he can stand on the international stage and not embarrass Malaysia.

But he has a “mountain to climb” in the race for the presidency.

Many in the party think he failed to stand by the party at its lowest ebb in 2018. He was seen “running away” in 2018 when he did not contest the party polls.

However, his appointment as Barisan Nasional treasurer is seen as a sort of comeback. He clearly has access to much-needed funds for the general election and people will be knocking on his door.

As the party No 2, Mat Hasan is just a step from the top but it is a case of so near, yet so far.

The former Negri Sembilan mentri besar does not have the divisional network. He parachuted in from the banking and corporate world and did not come up through the Youth wing like Hishammuddin and Ismail Sabri.

He is more a technocrat than a politician and had struggled for support from division warlords in Negri Sembilan where he was Mentri Besar for three terms.

But he gets rave reviews outside of Umno for his economic know-how and has less baggage than most politicians.

Recently, there was a viral message claiming that Mat Hasan was Muafakat Nasional’s choice as the PM candidate.

He quickly quashed it as “fake news that spreads faster than Covid-19”. But there are evidently elements out there who want him for the job.

Mat Hasan started to shine during the Rantau by-election in 2019 when he came under the national spotlight and people discovered that behind that poker face is an intelligent and witty personality.

“He may not have support among the division chiefs but many Umno members, my relatives and friends admire him, ” said Haliza.

Mat Hasan is deemed least likely to make it, but if the three contenders are put on a debate stage to talk about the economy, Mat Hasan will win hands down.

Each of these men has a quality that the other does not have. Umno would have the perfect candidate if all these qualities were found in one person.

But if Umno is serious about doing well in the general election, it needs to have a PM candidate who is not only likeable and well-accepted, but who understands the economy and is able to manage race relations. - Star