WITH Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob now serving as deputy prime minister, a former Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) leader declared that “the old gang is back”.
“This is the result of the Sheraton Move. Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali were just pawns to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the ‘court cluster’s’ shrewd power play.
“Umno is back in power, in a de facto away, and it looks like the court cluster may not be serving time in Sungai Buloh anytime soon,” said A Kadir Jasin, in a Facebook post.
Early this month, Mahiaddin promoted then Senior Minister Ismail to become deputy prime minister and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to become senior minister, in order to appease Umno.
However, Zahid announced that Umno was pulling support from the Perikatan Nasional coalition, just hours after the duo’s promotion.
Both parties had been at odds with one another since the coalition was formed in February last year, stemming from unequal power sharing formula, COVID-19 management measures and others.
Elaborating, Kadir said that Umno embarked on a “show of force” when former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak made an official visit to Ismail Sabri recently.
“And others like the party’s youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki made it clear by delivering a memorandum to Ismail Sabri instead of Mahiaddin.
“To me, Najib’s visit was more symbolic and of significance. Najib was Ismail Sabri’s former boss and mentor. Both come from the same state and they discussed about Malaysia’s future and national policies, as if Ismail Sabri was the premier,” Kadir stated.
The veteran newsman cautioned that one must never downplay arguments that Mahiaddin may consider rejoining Umno to save his political career.
“If the ‘bull’ called Umno moves its head around, the “egg” attached to its horn called Mahiaddin will fall and get reduced to pieces.
“The so-called Malay-Muslim Government of Perikatan Nasional, for now, relies on the ‘conspiratorial’ Umno,” Kadir remarked- July 22, 2021.
