KUALA LUMPUR – A fractured and divisive Umno is seeing its senior members lobbying for several leaders to take on the prime minister’s post.
Party veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is now being proposed as the next prime minister should the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration collapse due to a lack of majority support.
According to several Umno sources, supporters of the Gua Musang MP are pushing for this in an effort to pre-empt the likes of party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s names being put forward for the top job.
A source claimed that within royal circles, the 84-year-old Kelantan prince is the most acceptable candidate for prime minister.
Asked about the legitimacy of Tengku Razaleigh’s bid as he does not hold a senior position in Umno, another source said the same can be said for at least one other candidate.
“Well, neither does Hishammuddin, who is not even a Supreme Council member.”
Zahid’s position as president is precarious after the Registrar of Societies’ recent decision to invalidate Umno’s polls postponement, deemed by critics of the PN government as an early strike by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to eliminate the competition.
Umno’s woes are compounded by RoS director-general Jasri Kasim’s confirmation that the Supreme Council cannot make any policy decisions as it is functioning merely in a caretaker capacity, following the lapse of its members’ term on June 30.
Jasri said Umno’s highest decision-making body can function as usual only upon party elections being held or after the matter is brought up at its general assembly.
Despite rumours that Zahid may be coveting the prime minister’s post, it is understood that the Bagan Datuk MP is disinterested as he is focused on his corruption case, consolidating his fractured party and unseating Muhyiddin.
“Right now, all Zahid wants is to bring Muhyiddin down,” said a highly placed insider.
The withdrawal of support for the prime minister by at least 15 Umno MPs aligned with Zahid has thrown the government into disarray.
While the pressure mounts on Muhyiddin to call a confidence vote before the Dewan Rakyat sitting scheduled to begin next month, the Pagoh MP is set for showdown talks with PN party leaders, with the exception of Zahid, today.
Zahid earlier submitted to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong statutory declarations reaffirming the withdrawal of support for PN and Muhyiddin.
Opposition MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Warisan, Pejuang and Parti Sarawak Bersatu, as well as Muda’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and independent Maszlee Malik, followed suit.
It is learnt that the delivery of the SDs is so that the king can recommend to Muhyiddin that a confidence vote be held before next month’s Dewan Rakyat sitting.
The prime minister has said he will test his majority only in September, triggering criticism from lawmakers who want the matter to be tabled sooner.
Muhyiddin is expected to meet the Agong this morning for the weekly pre-cabinet meeting briefing before he chairs it. – The Vibes, August 11, 2021
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