THE looming battle in UMNO that is being talked about for quite some time started on election night when UMNO and BN supporters shouted “bubar Parlimen” (dissolve Parliament) at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as he walked through the jubilant crowd gathered at the Johor UMNO headquarters to await the official results in which BN/UMNO had secured a two-thirds majority in the state.
All comments on that night were like guns trained on Ismail Sabri, along with the snubs that he was treated to by Zahid in allowing a group of small screamers to shout “bubar Parlimen” at the PM, and making no mention of the PM in thanking BN leaders for the win in Johor in his victory speech although the PM had rolled his sleeves and went down to the field to help in the campaigning on a number of occasions.
The battle line was clearly drawn too on that night. The “court cluster” is no longer limited to just those with court cases but also includes those who are “sick” with Datuk Seri Najib Razak being associated with the 1Malaysia Development Board (1MDB) issue and those who want the GE15 to be held earlier than July.
To Ismail Sabri’s credit, he took all these “snubs” in his stride and remained quiet throughout and responded only the next day with a firmness that the office of the prime minister demands that GE15 would only be made by BN and not a small group of people who are “screaming” for it to be held immediately.
He also said a decision would be made when BN is “fully prepared” and the Government would not rush it since it needed to consider various opinions before it could call for the dissolution of Parliament.
“What is important is that the rakyat’s interests need to be taken care of, which is why I said, it is not yet time for the general election. Let us wait,” added Ismail.
The PM’s approach is very praiseworthy because it is in line with the concept of musyawarah (consultation) that Islam holds on a high pedestal, unlike the decision of the Johor UMNO not to consult its coalition partners in dissolving the state assembly.
There was only one real moment of unity between the “court and minister clusters” and it took place when they closed ranks and were united in nominating their vice-president Ismail Sabri as the new PM back in August last year.
This unity paved the way for UMNO/BN victory in the sudden Melaka state election in which the leader of the “court cluster” Najib played a key role in the victory.
Buoyed by this victory, the talk then was Najib was tipped to be appointed as an economic adviser to the Government. When this did not materialise, the “court cluster” started scheming again, which led to the present looming battle taking shape.
Cunning Tok Mat
Also, thing got a bit tense which resulted in the snubs that Ismail Sabri received on election night when it was rumoured the delay in reappointing the Attorney General (AG), Tan Sri Idrus Harun whose term ended on March 6, speculated to be due to the pressure by the “court cluster” on Ismail Sabri to appoint a new AG “sympathetic” to the plight of their top leaders.
Several MPs even brought the matter up in Parliament, as the delay in the reappointment is irregular and could raise many questions over the fate of the court cluster.
But the “court cluster” has one ace up their sleeves and that is the resolution approving a motion to postpone the party election to six months after GE15, as announced by Mohamad Hasan.
This means that Zahid will be in an important position in deciding who will be UMNO/BN candidates in GE15.
And note the defiant chord in Mohamad Hasan’s warning to Ismail Sabri: “I also ask the PM to please pay attention to this matter. If we write (about this motion) to the Registrar of Societies (ROS), no one should obstruct our party’s decision.”
As for Zahid, he seemed to make an awkward compromise when in his address, he implied that Ismail Sabri would be allowed to carry on as PM should the UMNO-ed BN coalition return to power after GE15. – March 21, 2022.
Jamari Mohtar is the Editor of Let’s Talk!, an e-newsletter on current affairs.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
