Umno's anti-PN faction rides on grassroots dissent, while some hope for patch-up

 

Umno's latest flare-up with Bersatu is not the first time the former has considered severing ties with the latter and forcing a general election.

In previous incidents, the push by the "anti-Perikatan Nasional faction" would be halted by a divided supreme council, which would instead issue strongly-worded statements urging Bersatu to treat Umno better.

However, this latest attempt to end cooperation with Bersatu appears on track to succeed, with the party set to debate it at the Umno general assembly on Jan 31.

While the key players for the push remained the same - loyalists of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who are not part of the PN cabinet - what has changed is the sentiment among the party's grassroots.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (centre) 

The motion to sever ties with Bersatu is reportedly backed by a majority of Umno divisions, allegedly 189 out of 191 by some counts.

The grassroots dissent is reportedly fuelled by dissatisfaction over various matters, including being given fewer government allocations than Bersatu and having members allegedly poached by the latter.

Umno sources indicate that push by the divisions had forced supreme council members who are in favour remaining with PN, or at least delaying the next general election, to cede ground and allow the motion to be brought to the general assembly.

This is because the "pro-PN" leaders would need to retain grassroots support, especially if they are to be candidates in GE15.

Padang Rengas Umno chief Nazri Abdul Aziz, who said 129 divisions had submitted motions to reject Bersatu, claimed this was a "spontaneous" effort by the grassroots.

"There was no orchestration," he told Malaysiakini.

Nazri Abdul Aziz

However, sources in the Umno supreme council claimed otherwise.

"Strings were pulled but the ground was ripe for it. So, it's a bit of both," said one source.

Another source said the supreme council members who "did not get (government) positions" had taken advantage of the divisions' motions to push their own interest.

According to ousted BN secretary-general Annuar Musa, an Umno leader widely seen to be pro-PN, attempts by Zahid to destabilise PN were fuelled by his personal agenda.

Although Annuar did not make it clear, it was likely that this was a veiled reference to the government not dropping corruption charges against Zahid, which was initiated by the previous administration.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan - who will replace Annuar as BN secretary-general - had said that PN continuing "cruel" court cases was a sore point for Umno, more so than not giving Umno positions.

Ahmad Maslan

While the break-up appears to be inevitable, some members in the supreme council are still holding out for an olive branch from Bersatu.

"Is Bersatu willing to raise the ante, show a gesture of goodwill and force Umno to make a decision?

"The statement on Wednesday shows that basically, Umno is putting Bersatu on notice, (they have until) Jan 31. That's the huge caveat," the source said.

"Not all of us are so keen to go to elections at all cost. Covid-19 is a genuine concern, especially after what we saw in Sabah."

Sources said a gesture of goodwill from Bersatu could lower the temperature at the Umno general assembly.

Bersatu supreme council member Dr Muhammad Faiz Na'aman, however, questioned the kind of goodwill sought by Umno.

"If the goodwill is to drop court cases involving several of their leaders or to give certain positions in government, this is not for public interest or the unity of the ummah," he told Malaysiakini.

Muhammad Faiz also said the people can see for themselves who the instigators in Umno are.

"There are three groups roughly. The first is the 'court cluster' and their lackeys. The second is the ultra-liberals who hide behind the English media. And the third is the elite veterans who are still not done with politics and with an old vengeance," he said.

However, he said Bersatu still remains open to reconciliation.

To achieve this, he said there must be respect, no friendly fire in the media, and for Umno to accept that Bersatu exists because of integrity problems in Umno's leadership.

If Umno proceeds with severing ties with Bersatu, it is likely to lead to Parliament being dissolved rather than a new government being formed.

While the support for PN has turned, most in Umno are still against forming an alliance with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as this would force it into a tie-up with their nemesis, DAP.

Nazri, who is a former law minister, however, argued that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can delay the dissolution of Parliament and install an interim government until the Covid-19 pandemic subsides. - Mkini