‘Nurturing’ Mukhriz Mahathir

The gap in Umno and the distrust amongst the leadership is getting wider.

COMMENT

The intrigue in Umno today is greater than the intrigue in the forbidden city during the last days of Chinese Emperors. It is a sure sign of a declining Umno in a ‘dog eat dog’ situation.

The gap in Umno and the distrust amongst the leadership is getting wider.

Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin has asked his camp to play low key. If anything has to be unleashed against Najib and his “mentor”, it has to be sudden and at a crucial time, so as not to allow for an opportunity for the Mahathirian camp to fight back.

“It should be swift and decisive, there will be no turning back,” Muhyiddin was quoted as having told his inner circles.

Muhyiddin is very uncomfortable with Mahathir and he has to watch every step he takes.

He can’t have his plans leaked. Thus far he seems to be doing fine on that score, but you can never tell in Umno, especially with Mahathir who is famous for buying out Umno boys to get what he wants.

And there are people in Johor Umno who are willing to align with Mahathir in this war.

Uphill task for Muhyddin

Mahathir has the funds or at least the sources from which he can squeeze it out. Muhyiddin has his back against the wall.

Under normal circumstances, an Umno deputy will be able to muster funds at will, but now after the Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s NFC affair, it has been made very difficult for him.

In Umno today, it’s money that talks, not Bahasa Melayu, but money!

So it is an uphill task for Muhyiddin, but sources say he has a good following and can turn the tables – money politics or not.

The not so intelligent (Home Minister) Hishammuddin Hussein does not have enough money to spend so lavishly to win any position.

He also does not have the support of the grassroots to make himself invulnerable, so he goes the way of Mukhriz, whose father and siblings together with their cronies will outbid anyone on the scene.

So Hisham will play the Mahathirian plan although he hates it, like his father, he will be used by Mahathir as a stop gap premier and then moved out ungraciously.

Mahathir is looking to park his son Mukhriz’ interests. If you notice Mukhriz has been rather quiet, very quiet for anyone’s liking.

He has ambitions and his father has plans to nurture that ambition but where he parks himself in this controversy and this power struggle in Umno will determine his future in the party, and both him and his father know that and are worried sick on how to solve this power equation.

Muhyiddin, a stop-gap

Muhyiddin has no place in the equation and he knows it.

Mahathir never liked the fellow. The only reason Mahathir placed him as deputy was to threaten Najib that Muhyiddin would be president if Najib did not go for (Abdullah) Badawi.

Once Najib took the position, it was time to begin the process of grooming Mukhriz but, a few stop gap personalities had to be put in place first.

The first stop-gap was Muhyiddin who would play a Ghaffar Baba-type role, then Hisham would come in to unseat him and Mukhriz would move for the vice-president’s slot as a measure towards party presidency.

Najib would be asked to make way for Hisham. Hisham will take over and appoint Mukhriz as his deputy just like when Hussein named Mahathir.

The stage will be set for Mukhriz to close the curtain on Hisham and take over the PM’s post within the next five years.

Toffee Rodrigo is a businessman who spends his free time writing to create awareness. He blogs at Toffee’sTurn.