Will Muhyiddin take this lying down?

The ex-DPM now has the opportunity to be an effective champion for the anti-Najib forces

COMMENT

So far, Muhyiddin Yassin seems graceful in his exit, making polite remarks about Prime Minister Najib Razak’s right to reshuffle his cabinet. He seems like a different man from the one firing on all cylinders last Sunday, the man many thought was finally making his move to replace Najib under the machinations of former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Muhyiddin had to know that Najib would brook no more dissent from his own cabinet, and his previous outbursts, like the one that came during the Permatang Pauh by-election, had already made him a marked man in Najib’s eyes. However, being removed from the cabinet means that he can now freely pursue his own agenda.

So let’s take another look at some of the “polite remarks” mentioned above. “I am happy to be dropped from the Cabinet because of my commitment to principles,” he said in his exit statement. “As Deputy President of Umno, I will carry out the trust given to me as my responsibility. I will dedicate my service towards strengthening the party to bring back the confidence of the Malays and the people in Umno.”

If one were to pay close attention, one would note that it was in fact a strong statement, not only of defiance, but of intent. He is happy to take the fall for standing up for principles and he intends to “strengthen the party” so that it will regain the confidence of the public in it, meaning that Umno has, for some time now, lost the public’s confidence under Najib’s leadership. All of this can be read as his motivation for standing up to Najib in the first place. Well, at least those who want to see Najib ousted would like to read that meaning in Muhyiddin’s words.

Indeed, if he is willing to maintain the stand he apparently took on Sunday regarding Najib and 1MDB, he will be a very effective champion for the anti-Najib forces.

Already, the opposition has reached out to him in the hope of establishing a unified front against Najib, but more important is the reaction of Mahathir’s faction to this news. Will Mahathir’s men rally around Muhyiddin as the Prime Minister to be? After all, Muhyiddin is now seen as a sacrificial lamb to the altar of Najib’s recalcitrance, removed in an act of desperation by a man who will not loosen his grip on power.

By projecting Muhyiddin as a martyr, Mahathir’s faction will gain a strong champion to challenge Najib with. And we must recognise that it is only through an alliance with Mahathir that any candidate can gain ground on Najib, given the likelihood that Umno supporters will reject an alliance between Muhyiddin and the opposition, especially because it includes the DAP.

For a man as loyal to Umno as Muhyiddin is, it takes more than just being removed from office to cosy up to the opposition. His support base would not allow it. However, by remaining in the party, he paints himself as selfless and retains the potential of being the figurehead of dissent within Umno itself.

Of course, all parties in this conflict will need some time to assess their next moves, and we may see another period of inaction as all sides plan around the cabinet reshuffle and the added strength it gives Najib’s position at the head of government. And, of course, Muhyiddin himself must give an indication of his next move before anyone can rally behind him. When that happens, we’ll be in for what may be one of the most exciting – or excruciating – Malaysian political struggles of all time.