2 June, 2008
Should Shahidan be forced to quit, he has said that either Ahmad Bakri or Padang Besar division chief Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin should succeed him.
By : Zubaidah Abu Bakar, New Straits Times
UMNO'S boats in Perlis and Terengganu are rocking again, this time over who should lead the party in the two states.
After the March 8 general election, incumbents Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh were dropped as menteris besar.
As leaders of the victorious Barisan Nasional in the two states, both had received their letters of nomination from BN chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
But the Perlis and Terengganu palaces refused to assent to their nominations and, instead, appointed Datuk Md Isa Sabu and Datuk Ahmad Said respectively.
Shahidan and Idris, however, remained as Umno liaison chiefs, positions traditionally held by the menteris besar.
Idris has given up fighting. He relinquished his post as Umno liaison chief on Wednesday after a 45-minute meeting with Abdullah in Parliament.
Infighting continues in Terengganu following the opposition to Ahmad's appointment.
Idris made way for Ahmad, who has failed to unite the feuding factions.
Yet Ahmad has had the upper hand, being the "caretaker" of the state Umno, which is without a secretary and information chief.
Datuk Rosol Wahid quit as Terengganu Umno secretary a day before Idris while Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, the information minister who happens to be Ahmad's deputy in the Kemaman division, gave up his post on Thursday.
Sources said it is a matter of time before Ahmad takes over as head of the party in the state. He believes the Umno leadership is now behind him.
Meanwhile, in Perlis, the situation is less settled. Supporters of Md Isa are calling for Shahidan to resign as Idris did.
Md Isa's newly-appointed secretary, Ameir Hassan, has asked Shahidan to give up his post, saying the latter should be realistic, given his political maturity as a senior Umno leader.
By convention, the state Umno liaison chief's post is held by a party division chief.
As Md Isa is only a committee member of the Kangar division, moves are afoot for branches to pass a resolution asking division chief Ahmad Bakri Ali to make way for him.
Shahidan, however, is not budging.
"Why should I give up my post? I am a division chief and doing all right running Perlis Umno."
Should Shahidan be forced to quit, he has said that either Ahmad Bakri or Padang Besar division chief Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin should succeed him.
Perlis has three divisions.
As a strongman in Perlis Umno, Shahidan would not be easy to unseat.
He enjoys the support of the people, who continue to seek his help at the Pengkalan Assam BN service centre near Kangar.
Thus, the rivalry in Umno generated by the opposing factions in Perlis and Terengganu is far from over.
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