8 THOUGHTS ON A MUHYIDDIN-LED UMNO POST NAJIB & ROSMAH REGIME

Muhyiddin is by far a better UMNO leader than the man from Zahid Hamidi to be the successor Prime Minister.

The first thing he must do is to be transparent about 1MDB and come clean on TPPA.

Then he must have his own Cabinet and send characters like Ku Nan, Nazri Aziz, Azalina Othman Said, Wahid Omar, Paul Low and even the TPPA negotiator Mustafa Mohamed into retirement, revamp the bloated and expensive PMO (Prime Minister’s Office),and remove the IGP, the A-G, the Bank Negara Governor, the MACC Chief Commissioner, the Chief Justice, the KSN Ali Hamsa, and the Treasury Chief Siregar.

Muyiddin needs to restore confidence and public trust quickly. Otherwise, he will end up as the first UMNO President to lose the 14th General elections.

Strategically, having consolidated his position in UMNO and the government, he must hit the fractious opposition with fresh elections, maybe a year before the due date.

Will Muhyiddin have enough guts to take such, and even tougher drastic actions?

Or more appropriately, does he have any choice in the matter, given the fact that our politically cancerous nation is in Stage 3 of the disease?

A Muhyiddin-led UMNO-Abad-21 in the works?

by Malaysia Chronicle  [ DR M SET TO LEAD HIGH-POWERED TEAM OUT FROM UMNO: OR WAIT FOR NAJIB TO SACK HIM? ]

KUALA LUMPUR - Amid red-hot talk embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak was about to sack 7 top leaders including Umno deputy president and former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, political sources believe veteran power broker Mahathir Mohamad was preparing to lead a high-powered team out from the bitterly-divided ruling party.

If true, the move will shatter Umno, shake its members out from their complacency and punish Najib for bringing the once-mighty party to its lowest point since it took control of the federal government in 1957.

"There is now a lot of cross talk and spin flying around. But who is really sacking whom - that is the question. There is a lot of power-play behind the scenes but for sure, something major is up. It is not an exaggeration to say Umno is on the point of implosion," a political source told Malaysia Chronicle.

An aide to Dr Mahathir's had denied rumors that began swirling last week that the 90-year-old former premier, who ruled Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, would resign on Tuesday.

Despite the resignation denial, bets are on that Dr M may spring a shock next week.

"The fate of Dr M and the other 6 will be decided next week. I would brace for an earth-shaking announcement. Otherwise, you won't have the Najib camp in such a panic today, they are clucking around like headless chickens," the political source said.

"The joke now in the inner circles is that Umno wants to get rid of Najib and they are secretly cheering Dr M on. It's DAP with its own political agenda for the next general election that wants Najib to stay on and Najib's only staying by the grace of his cash-is-king ways with the Umno division heads."

Umno 7 and the 'ultimate' game

Indeed, Tengku Adnan, the Umno secretary-general and a staunch Najib loyalist, had today followed hot on the heels on the comments from a junior-level leader Jamal Mohd Yunos, who had called for Muhyiddin's sacking.

Ku Nan said 7 members could face suspension, and some from party positions, for going against party president Najib. However, Ku Nan refused to name the 7.

The group is being investigated for reportedly making public statements badmouthing Umno and Najib's handling of debt-ridden state investment firm 1MDB.

"We have a disciplinary committee, we have our own ethics code which they should adhere to. We can't take all of this nonsense anymore. To us, if you don't believe in the party struggle, you leave the party, it's okay," Ku Nan told reporters outside Parliament on Wednesday.

"We are tired and sick of some of our members who come up with statements that are not supposed to be meant for the public. The investigation is taking place, the findings will be tabled to the presidential council and then the disciplinary board ... Once this process begins we will suspend their membership and their positions."

"After this committee has completed the findings, we will table it to the presidential council. Once the presidential council says okay, we will bring the matter to the disciplinary committee. But once that process goes, we will suspend their membership and suspend whatever positions they have," added Ku Nan.

It is still unclear if Mahathir, Muhyiddin and the other 5 who may include former Sabah minister Shafie Apdal and even Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, will wait for Najib to sack them or resign in protest on their own accord.

"Dr M won't leave like that, he's waiting to be sacked. He is playing the ultimate game," the political source said.

Umno will be rocked to the core

Some political analysts believe Dr M's departure, as well as the other 6, would have no impact on Umno.

"The effect of him (Mahathir) quitting would be rather minimal (this time), if not followed up with some other action. He'd probably start a new group though they may not call themselves a party, or they might, we don't know," political analyst Wong Chin Huat was reported as saying.

But this may be too sanguine a view. Muhyiddin is the incumbent Umno No. 2 and Dr M has a special place in the hearts of the Malay community.

According to political observer Prof Dr Samsu Adabi Mamat, Muhyiddin's sway in the party was still strong despite losing the DPM's post. His sacking from Umno would split the party down the line.

"Umno division heads must face up to this if they wish to get rid of Muhyiddin. This is because Muhyiddin not only has strong influence in Umno but also carries with him the sentiment Johor of voters. It will cause severe internal divisions within Umno and make Umno appear to be even weaker," Prof Dr Samsu told Malay daily Sinar Harian.

"Muhyiddin's removal should be avoided. Preferably this matter resolved amicably. Perhaps as party president Najib could reach out to Muhyiddin."

Sinar Harian had in an earlier report quoted Jamal as saying that more than 100 party division leaders had held closed door talks to discuss ousting Muhyiddin and a group of of "wolves in sheep's clothing".

Muhyiddin was sacked as deputy PM after publicly critiquing Najib's handling of a controversy surrounding 1MDB and allegations the Prime Minister had channelled USD$700 millionin to his personal bank accounts through 1MDB-linked entities.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has since said the funds were "donations" and not connected to 1MDB while Najib has dismissed these allegations as part of a plot to discredit him. - Malaysia Chronicle

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