'Zahid or Najib - Malaysia's post-GE15 prime minister'

On Bersatu's current course with Perikatan Nasional, the next prime minister after the 15th general election will likely be a toss-up between Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his immediate predecessor Najib Abdul Razak.

This was the scenario put forth by Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik (photo) who pointed out that Umno has made no indication that it intends to contest the 15th general election on the PN platform and is instead favouring its alliance with PAS under Muafakat Nasional.

Despite Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's efforts to formalise PN, Maszlee said Umno supreme council leader Mohd Puad Zarkashi was the latest in a long line of Umno leaders who have rejected turning PN anything more than a coalition to control the government until the next general election.

"In short, Umno does not need Bersatu but Bersatu needs Umno," said Maszlee.

Furthermore, he said Umno and PAS yesterday held discussions on the 15th general election at the Umno headquarters without Bersatu's participation.

Maszlee pointed out that in the last general election, Umno contested 105 parliamentary seats in the peninsular and won 46, PAS contested 144 and won 18 while Bersatu contested 52 and won 13.

He added Bersatu, Umno and PAS clashed in 46 of the seats of which Bersatu won 10, Umno won 30 and PAS took six.

"It will be impossible for PAS and Umno to make way (for Bersatu) in the 36 seats it won. "

He added that Bersatu also clashed with MIC, MCA, and Gerakan in four seats and they, too, are unlikely to yield in the next general election.

"In areas with significant non-Malays where Bersatu won, Bersatu is unlikely to retain them as Bersatu won on Pakatan Harapan's platform with DAP's support," he said.

He said the seats are Tapah, Tanjung Piai, Alor Gajah and his own Simpang Renggam.

Maszlee said he highlighted the numbers to show Bersatu's precarious position by relying on PN.

"Umno now has 39 seats while Bersatu has 12 (excluding five who have supposedly been sacked) as well as 14 more MPs who defected from Bersatu to Umno.

"Will the 14 MPs who defected from Umno to Bersatu contest under Umno's banner once again (in the next general election)?" he said.

Bersatu, which is now under Muhyiddin's control, had declared the party membership of five MPs, including Maszlee, void.

The group, comprising Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Langkawi), Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun), Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muar), Amiruddin Hamzah (Kubang Pasu) and Maszlee had rebelled against Muhyiddin's decision to take Bersatu out of Harapan and form PN.

Ultimately, Maszlee said Umno is the one with a dominant position under the current arrangement.

"Umno is the dominant party and surely the prime ministerial candidate (for the 15th general election) will no longer be Muhyiddin.

"The candidate will surely be Najib or Zahid," he said.

Already, he said, Bersatu has lost its lead role in a number of states including Johor and Kedah.

Following Bersatu's migration to PN, PAS had taken over Kedah while Umno took over Johor as the parties had more seats than Bersatu.

Under Harapan, Bersatu was allowed to take the lead role despite having fewer seats.

"In other words, the current Bersatu leadership had sacrificed the states in exchange for political support for one individual.

"This did not happen during Harapan's time," he said.

Maszlee said he would often convey this ominous message when meeting Bersatu grassroots.

"Give me one good reason why Zahid and Najib would want to allow Muhyiddin the chance to become the prime minister again after the 15th general election?" he said.

The Harapan government collapsed in late February, after Muhyiddin, who is the Bersatu president, pulled his party out of the coalition government.

Muhyiddin was sworn in as the new prime minister on March 1, after Mahathir refused to lead a new coalition Muhyiddin put together, comprising Bersatu, BN, PAS, GPS, PBS, and STAR.

Mahathir had indicated he planned to take Bersatu back to Harapan but at present, Muhyiddin appears to have the upper hand in the party. - Mkini