Ismail may have stolen a march while heavyweights squabble

 

From Mansor Nordin

With kopitiams across the country awash with rumours of an impending general election, one would assume that Malaysia’s seasoned politicians would be buckling down to address critical matters affecting the nation.

Covid-19 cases are still in 5-digit territory: a primary concern ought to be the general health of the average Malaysian, and their access to affordable and good healthcare.

There are also grave concerns about the economy: the ringgit has weakened, foreign investment is down, businesses are struggling to stay afloat, energy and consumer prices are on the rise, and there are high levels of unemployment.

Immediate action is needed to curb widespread flash flooding, while schools are in dire need of funds.

Despite this, Umno is still unashamedly reliant on Najib Razak despite his criminal convictions and has recently been championing the plight of “poor” government-linked companies instead of the poor rakyat.

Why is Najib now locked in a petty “handbag” fight with PKR’s Rafizi Ramli and now even Anwar Ibrahim? Meanwhile, it appears that Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin are befriending each other again!

A shared hatred of the sitting government is as good a basis of friendship as anything else.

Where in the midst of all this is prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, one might ask? To many, Ismail is merely a “placeholder PM”, someone designated to warm the seat while Najib tries to re-align the Malay universe around him.

Yet, two weeks ago at his party’s general assembly, Ismail proudly declared himself to be one who heeds the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and who is a party loyalist and the protector of the rakyat’s interests.

Then, in a populist move yesterday, Ismail announced a restructuring of the four highway concessionaires that will allow toll rates to remain unchanged for the foreseeable future: it is bound to win him broad public approval.

In the lead-up to the 15th general elections, the power of incumbency will give Ismail considerable advantages over his political rivals from within Umno and among the opposition.

Ismail will never outdo Najib on social media, but Rafizi Ramli’s recent claim that many more prefer him as prime minister rather than Najib should not surprise us.

The reality is that, like it or not, Najib is damaged goods, and apart from Ismail there appears to be no one else capable of garnering enough support to lead Umno and the next government. - FMT

Ads by Kiosked

Mansor Nordin is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.