Bersatu’s last chance to make right with Umno

KUALA LUMPUR – To strike while the iron is hot is normal but the striking that Umno did on Tuesday night was anything but.

Umno’s demand for a new deal with the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact happened hot on the heels of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s latest attempt at a power grab.

As a result, more weight was added to speculations that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was conspiring with Anwar to unseat Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who also heads Bersatu.

Anwar’s political history with Zahid, coupled with Zahid’s ongoing court cases make the Umno-PKR pact theory even more believable.

Zahid was jailed in 1998 under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for siding with Anwar, who got booted from Umno.

But grouses among Umno leaders and grassroots over the “unfair arrangement” in the PN government can be traced back to as early as March – the month Muhyiddin rose to power.

“As I see it, Anwar’s bid was just a catalyst that Umno needed in order to force Muhyiddin to be more equitable in PN’s power-sharing,” said Dr Azmi Hassan, a political observer from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Instances of Umno having to “play second fiddle” to Bersatu – Muhyiddin’s party – are aplenty.

In Dewan Rakyat, Umno has 39 MPs while Bersatu has 31, but the latter has the lion’s share of cabinet members, with 24 ministers compared to Umno’s 16.

And in Perak, Bersatu assemblyman Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu was made mentri besar despite the party only having five state seats compared to Umno’s 25.

A similar situation played out in Sabah after the state polls where Umno won 14 state seats while Bersatu took 11. Bersatu’s Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor is now chief minister.

“Umno has realised that is has been played by Bersatu for the past six months. So, it is only right of it to try to make good use of its clout,” said Azmi.

What Umno intends to do if Muhyiddin refuses its new terms is crystal clear.

“Without Umno’s support, Bersatu would have been long gone. Muhyiddin managed to become PM by Umno’s virtue,” said Professor Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya.

Muhyiddin’s helm started on March 1, after a week-long political turmoil triggered by the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and the sudden resignation of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister on February 24.

For now, PN comprises Bersatu, Sabah Star, SAPP and PAS, with Umno along with MCA and MIC only supporting the coalition at parliamentary and state levels.

“This ultimatum Umno has given to PN was done to appease the groundswell in Umno that are unhappy with the party’s subservience to Bersatu. 

“It is no longer a matter of ‘yes or no’, it is a matter of how swift Muhyiddin can tend to it,” Awang Azman said.

Yesterday, Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman told a local news portal that the unhappiness in the party had reached a tipping point.

“Don’t be surprised if some even find Anwar’s bid appealing,” he was quoted as saying.

Umno has been around since pre-Merdeka days. Being 74 years old, it is the largest Malay-based party in the country with 191 divisions and 22,000 branches. It also boasts the largest party machinery.

For it to put its foot down and seek clarity, and redefine the terms and dynamics of its problematic alliance with PN, is not unnatural.

Three days before Anwar dropped his bombshell on September 23, Zahid told The Vibes that Umno needed to re-evaluate its position and explained why it did not join PN.

“Umno already has Barisan Nasional (BN). I think if we have two feet, it is better to have them in one place so we won’t fall flat on our face if we’re pulled from one side to another,” said Zahid. – The Vibes, October 15, 2020