KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 ─ By the end of the year, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will walk into Parliament as the Prime Minister and Umno will be at its lowest ebb.
This is the doomsday scenario painted by former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Khir Toyo if Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi does not step down as party president and Prime Minister now.
He believes that until Abdullah hands over power to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, it will be difficult for Umno to regain the support from party members and Malaysians.
“Anwar wants to see Pak Lah carry on. This will result in a weaker Umno and less support for the component parties also,” said Khir, who is shaping up to be one of the PM’s most relentless critics in Umno.
Writing in his blog, he predicted that during the second session of Parliament, a by-election will be held ─ most likely in Bandar Tun Razak ─ which will give Anwar an avenue to return to power.
“Anwar will contest as the Prime Minister in waiting. As is the tradition, Datuk Seri Najib will head the Barisan National election machinery. But with Pak Lah still as the number one leader, the mood among Umno and BN members will be at the lowest point and it will be difficult for BN to win.
“Anwar’s victory will not only destroy the public’s confidence towards Umno, but also erode support for Pak Lah and Najib. Umno will certainly be destroyed when this happens.
“I am certain that this will happen, possibly near to the Umno assembly this year,” he said. Umno’s annual meeting will be held in mid-December.
Abdullah has said that he will discuss the hand over of power to Najib after the party polls in December.
Khir said that once Anwar wins the by-election, he will organise a vote of no-confidence against Abdullah in the second session of Parliament.
“At that time, it will not matter if he buys BN representatives. The crisis of confidence in Pak Lah’s leadership will reach the peak. In fact, there will be no confidence at all.
“It will be a crisis of confidence against Pak Lah and Datuk Seri Najib. Anwar Ibrahim will form a coalition government. It is uncertain if BN parties will join him or whether individual representatives will cross over,” said Khir.
He believed that Anwar would enter Parliament as the Prime Minister. Out of this concern of this doomsday scenario happening, he urged Abdullah to speed up his exit plan.
“If the transition of power happens now, it will give Datuk Seri Najib time and space to do something drastic, reorganise the Cabinet and reinvent the party,” he said.
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