Is Azmin’s political career coming to a grinding halt?

KUALA LUMPUR – Once touted as the next future deputy prime minister, Bersatu supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali may see his political career come to a standstill.

Following his attempts to set up a new political party called Parti Negara Malaysia (PNM) last year, sources revealed that the Gombak MP is now purportedly pondering his political future.

Attempts to set up PNM failed to materialise following issues pertaining to its registration with the Registrar of Societies.

“Azmin has since reignited negotiations with a dormant political party. He plans to use this as a bargaining tool and has even threatened to pull out all PKR MPs from Bersatu if the DPM position is not given to him,” said a source familiar with the matter.

It is learnt that the international trade and industry minister insists that the DPM position remains his as apparently promised to him by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when he was the prime minister.

The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity also claimed that another promise was made to Azmin – that all sexual allegations related to him would be dropped altogether.

“However, this seems to have backfired as the allegations were now actually being used to ‘control’ Azmin and his supporters.

“Azmin is already beginning to convey the message to his supporters that he has had enough of this and is already feeling the pressure.

“There is also too much bureaucracy and hostility from the original Bersatu leadership and this is straining the relationship.”

Since joining Bersatu, Azmin has been trying to consolidate his position within the Umno splinter party by aiming for top positions in the party and cabinet.

“It is an open secret among the party’s circles that he has been eyeing the deputy president post and is set to take on Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu when the party polls are called.

“During the protracted negotiations for the cabinet posts following Muhyiddin’s resignation, he was jostling for the DPM post against Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

“These schemes and moves have left Bersatu leaders with an uneasy and testy relationship with Azmin,” the source said.

Additionally, the relationships between Azmin and some of the former PKR MPs who defected with him during the 2020 Sheraton Move have deteriorated as a result, notably with long-time ally and comrade Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.

According to another source within Bersatu circles, the move to implicate the Ampang MP for her alleged involvement with the newly formed Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) was initiated by Azmin during a Bersatu supreme council meeting.

The long-time allies, the source said, have recently turned against each other due to differences over their political direction and future.

“This is why there have been moves to oust Zuraida from Bersatu. Some of the ex-PKR MPs such as Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah are determined to brave it out with Bersatu for GE15, while others are having second thoughts and are laying low,” the source said, without naming the other MPs.

The source also confirmed earlier speculations that Azmin is now trying to make inroads into the recently launched PBM.

However, PBM does not want him on board as there is too much baggage linked to him. Basically, he has reached a dead end as no party is in favour of him coming onboard.

“This is especially so due to certain sexual allegations,” added the source.

In January 2020, then attorney-general Tan Sri Tommy Thomas had said no charges would be filed against those involved in a sex video purportedly linked to Azmin due to the inability to identify those involved.

The decision, however, was questioned by many quarters who believed that the individuals involved could easily be identified.

However, in view of the source’s revelation of the pressures facing Azmin, questions remain over whether the three-term MP and assemblyman would be able to survive the general election unscathed. – The Vibes, February 9, 2022