The Umno power tussle and the 'dramatis personae'

In the 1980s, soap operas such as Dallas and Dynasty ruled our TV screens. They were highly popular due to the amazing twists and turns of the plots.

Fast forward to our present day 21st century and we have the Malaysian political soap opera, to be precise the political plots and ploys permeating Umno - the country's ruling party.

Let's introduce the dramatis personae:-

1. Prime Minister Najib Razak

2. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin

3. Mukhriz Mahathir

4. Khairy Jamaluddin

5. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah

6. Rosmah Mansor

The Prime Minister is the most powerful person in the country's administration. But is he? Think again. Remember the saying: 'Behind every successful man ...'.

The Deputy Prime Minister has an uninteresting face, but make no mistake, he is surely be interested to the top man - not just someday or one day but asap!

Mukhriz, whose father is none other than former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is trying to muscle his way in among the big guns. His name hinges on his father's fame. And his father is famous indeed!

22 years helming the country as a world-renowned statesman, everyone in Malaysia knows who Tun Dr Mahathir is. He is is also popularly known as Dr M. See, he even has an alphabet for his name! What an achievement!

But Khairy has now been reduced to being a bit player in this drama. His heyday was during the tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (the one-term PM also known as 'sleepyhead' in the blogs) who is also his father-in-law.

Despite being kicked out into the cold, Khairy has not given up. He is still plotting how to grab the limelight again and how to secure a share in the big stakes by making statements that boost the image of Umno.

But sadly, his efforts are few and far in between and little appreciated by the Umno majority, who don't even bother to hide their feelings anymore. Yes, they can't stand him!

To stop power tussle but against whom?

Najib's postponing of the Umno polls may be due to desire to stop the power tussle between the various camps and their factions from getting out of hand. But mainly, it may be to stave off a challenge for his own seat.

"He wants to lessen the in-fighting and there may be a possibility he may have a hidden agenda of his own. Overall, the unity of the party will be to his own benefit as he can consolidate his own power," PAS central committee member Khalid Samad told Malaysia Chronicle.

Najib's 1Malaysia slogan was an attempt to secure the support of the rakyat for himself, especially the support of the non-Malays, so that Umno would be able to bully him so easily. However, there are those who have thrown a spanner in the works.

Muhyiddin is one of them but Muhyiddin is not the lone wolf. There are others including Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamazah - buoyed by his recent triumph in the Galas by-election.

The DPM and Khairy-who?

Let's consider Muhyiddin next. The DPM's statement 'I am Malay first and Malaysian second' was aimed to gain nationalistic Malay support.

DAP MP for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang is of the view that this statement is the antithesis of Najib's 1Malaysia. Even Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz had to allay the public uproar sparked by Muhyiddin's brash statement by stating that, 'I am Malaysian first'.

"There seems to be a rift between the PM and the DPM," said Lim, who also opined that Muhyiddin seems to be at odds with Najib's increasingly defunct 1Malaysia slogan.

After hearing Lim saying that, Muhyiddin promptly issued a statement saying that everything was well and fine between him and Najib. He certainly seemed anxious to quell the growing speculation that he was after his boss's job!

As for Mukhriz, he has the support of the most powerful dad in Malaysia. This surely counts for something and will give him leverage among the Malays as his father is also the patron of ultra-rights group Perkasa. In his early 40s, Mukhriz is quiet but confident type and not so controversial. He seems the sort of person who can wait in the wings and bide his time.

But success is not guaranteed as Khairy's supporters will rush to tell him. Both locked horns in the race for Youth Chief's post, but in actual fact, both are gunning for much higher than that.

Not too long ago Khairy made an announcement that he wants to take a break from politics and may not defend his Rembau seat. To some, he was trying to gain publicity. To others, he was trying to force Najib's hand and get himself a Cabinet position. Some even said he was being forced out by the Mukhriz faction who had exposed his alleged corruption in several deals - sack yourself or we will sack you!

"You know, people will say, 'no lah, don't step down, please do continue, we need you as you are the new generation of leaders, we need you to be the voice of Malay youth...bla, bla, bla' and this is called the 'back by popular demand syndrome', said Khalid, who is also the Shah Alam MP .

"Perhaps Khairy is testing the market," Khalid added.

But the real terror is ... Rosmah Mansor

Other Umno warlords with their own power-bases are Hishammuddin Hussein and Zahid Hamidi. They head two of the most powerful ministries in the Cabinet as Home Minister and Defence Minister respectively.

Both men also have widespread grassroots support of their own. But both have declared their loyalty to Najib. Hisham is his cousin while Zahid just a day ago declared he was willing to defend Najib "to death".

Whatever the level of their sincerity, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, no minister in the Cabinet can match the sheer drive and aggression of the PM's wife, Rosmah Mansor. This self-acclaimed First Lady Of Malaysia (FLOM) is the turbo-boosted power behind the lackadaisical Najib.

No one should ever underestimate her power and influence. Those who laugh at her inclusion into the list of elite power-brokers should take care or end up laughing - not like Altantuya - but from the wrong side of their faces!

After all, did she not travel far and wide promoting Malaysia all over the globe, and did she not have a hand in securing the safe return of Malaysian students during the uprising in Egypt? Great and mighty, she is. And not just physically. Who else would ask a crowd of strangers, "Do I look like a liar?"

Even the PM hastened to say that her extensive travels benefitted the nation's trade when questioned by the Opposition. Her Permata children's programme to unearth and cultivate children's talent was allotted a substantial budget of its own. She even organised a First Ladies Summit in KL last October, for which the wife of Tunisian dictator Ben Ali travelled thousands of miles to attend.

To those in the loop, Rosmah is the iron fist in the silk glove, the most powerful personage in Malaysia with her overwhelming style and exceptional personality.

Who is Muhyiddin and Razaleigh should she decide she wants to be PM?

As for Mukhriz and Khairy, straightaway they will be relegated to toy-boy status and be fit only to be her office boys should she decide she wants the main suite in Putrajaya. With or without Najib! - Malaysia Chronicle