(MalaysianInsider) KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a man in a hurry. He wants to work with Datuk Seri Najib Razak and pressure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down before the party elections in December. He then wants Najib and himself to contest the top two positions in Umno as a tag team.
In return, Muhyiddin has promised to swing the support of Johor Umno behind the deputy prime minister. The Malaysian Insider has learnt from sources that this plan was communicated by Muhyiddin to Najib during recent meetings.
It is understood that the DPM rebuffed the offer, saying that he is not interested in challenging Abdullah or forcing him to speed up the transfer of power. He is content to bide his time and focus on strengthening the party and tackle issues that are confronting Malaysia such as rising cost of living and subsidies.
He has also told party members that he believes that the PM should be allowed to hand over power at a time and manner which he feels is appropriate and fair. As such, he is not inclined to work with anyone who wants to force Abdullah to step down.
Working against Muhyiddin also is the view in the Najib camp that he seems too anxious about moving up the party ladder. The grapevine in Umno says that Muhyiddin or his intermediaries has reached out to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, creating the impression among Najib’s supporters that he is hedging his bets.
It is unclear whether any agreement was cobbled together with Dr Mahathir but Umno officials say that Muhyiddin is amenable to the idea of amending the party constitution and setting up a council of advisers. Dr Mahathir has been promoting the idea of a presidential council, which his critics argue will be his vehicle to be the power behind the throne.
Najib is dead set against the idea of a council of advisers, as is Tengku Razaleigh.
Ku Li’s officials confirmed that individuals acting on behalf of the Umno vice-president have touched base on the possibility of working together but the Kelantan prince is not interested in pacts or teams.
He wants to reform Umno and make the party attractive for all Malaysians, and is willing to share the stage with anyone in the party who shares his ideals.
Still, it is early days yet and the dynamics could change after the branch and division elections. Abdullah’s supporters in Umno know that Najib is with him but concede that there could be pressure on the deputy prime minister if divisions aligned to Muhyiddin nominate Najib instead of Abdullah for the party president’s position.
Some of these supporters are pressing Abdullah to take preemptive action against Muhyiddin and drop him from the Cabinet based on comments he made at a Federal Territory Umno meeting. They argue that it is the prerogative of the PM to choose his ministers and his Cabinet should only contain those loyal to him.
At the meeting last month, the Minister of International Trade and Industry suggested that there should be a change of leadership in Umno soon. He noted that Abdullah was his friend and was a good man but wondered aloud if he was the right person to lead the party during these challenging times. Muhyiddin also said that the government lost the stand off with the royal households of Perlis and Terengganu over the choice of mentris besar because Abdullah was weak.
"You say you’re strong but you are weak," he said at the closed-door briefing.
Sacking Muhyiddin from the Cabinet is a strategy fraught with dangers. It could turn him into a martyr and paint Abdullah as someone who is intolerant of dissent and criticism.
But on the flip side, by allowing a minister to openly question his fitness to lead the party and country, Abdullah could be inviting more challenges from within the Cabinet.
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