IT WON'T BE KU LI: Dr M will choose a 'YES-MAN' to replace Najib - Rafizi

Among Umno leaders, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is the best candidate to replace Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak if Dr Mahathir Mohamad is successful in his campaign to oust the latter.

But is the former premier interested in appointing a leader who has the interest of the nation at heart?

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli pointed out that Mahathir's agenda is rolling on a different track, one that is crooked rather than straight as the "naive" Zaid Ibrahim believes.

"Mahathir has no interest in appointing the fairest among the ranks of Umno to be the next prime minister.

"To him, it is not about putting a leader who can serve the people. That is not in the equation.

"It is about putting someone as prime minister who can take orders and safeguard his as well as Umno's interests," he told Malaysiakini.

On that note, Rafizi said Zaid, who has called on Mahathir to name Tengku Razaleigh instead of Muhyiddin Yassin as Najib's successor, was being politically puerile.

However, he agreed with Zaid that Tengku Razaleigh, who is fondly known as Ku Li, is a cut above the rest in Umno.

"Ku Li was out of power when corruption went out of control during Mahathir’s time. He was sort of shielded from this," he said.

He also pointed out that the administration in the 70s had a semblance of democracy and rule of law.

"So Ku Li definitely has a greater sense of fairness and rule of law," he added.

Ku Li

Therefore, Rafizi said, lawmakers with a conscience should not rule out Tengku Razaleigh, but to realise the prospect of the latter becoming prime minister would require courage.

"It can only happen if Ku Li gets the support of component parties in BN and if MPs in Sabah and Sarawak dare to defy Umno.

"Expecting Umno to do it (putting Tengku Razaleigh in the top post) is extremely naive," he stressed.

In campaigning for Tengku Razaleigh, Zaid claimed that Muhyiddin would not be able to undertake a reform or undo the damage inflicted by Najib.

He believed that Tengku Razaleigh would have a positive impact on Malaysia because he has the necessary qualifications.

"Tengku Razaleigh is a friend to ordinary Malaysians, unlike Umno leaders in Putrajaya today who are friends only with tycoons and big businesses," he added. - M'kini