ANALYSIS
Malaysian Insider
Supporters of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi want him to show a ruthless streak.
The Prime Minister has told politicians and friends that he must be able to face his Maker on the day of judgment with a clear conscience and be able to answer for all his actions. In the early days of his first term in office, this was taken as a virtue, a moral compass by which Abdullah ran the ruling party and the government.
Today, his supporters feel that he should temper his preoccupation with how he is scoring on God's report card with a sense of realpolitik. The way they see it, Abdullah has to show a ruthless streak, threaten, cajole and sack his political opponents.
Only then will party warlords ─ who fear the use of raw power more than anything else ─ will fall in line, give him the nominations he needs to defend the party president's position in December and think twice before they support his opponents.
So in the past few weeks, his officials, menteris besar and ministers have urged him to sack Minister of International Trade and Industry Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim from the Cabinet for undermining him.
Their contention is simple: the appointment of a minister is the sole prerogative of the PM. If a minister does not have confidence in the leadership of the PM, then he should either resign or be sacked.
They noted that Muhyiddin has criticised Abdullah in Umno meetings and suggested that he step down before the party polls. He has also met Datuk Seri Najib Razak and floated the idea of an alliance between the two. Umno officials affiliated to him have been going to the ground, seeking nominations on behalf of Najib and Muhyiddin for the top two positions in the party.
Now the talk is that between RM2 million and RM4 million is being spent per division by those who want Abdullah to get fewer than the 58 nominations needed to defend the party president's position.
Abdullah has been given evidence that there is a move to humiliate him and force him out of office but he has chosen not to move. His supporters are upset that he has not taken any action against Muhyiddin, who in the days after March 8 pleaded with the PM to be given the Miti portfolio.
Several senior Umno politicians have approached Abdullah and asked him to sack Rais, noting that the Foreign Minister was undermining and ridiculing him on the ground. A government official told The Malaysian Insider: "Pak Lah needs to be ruthless and sack his ministers who are against him. Only then will he be able to control the Umno warlords.''
So far, Abdullah has rebuffed calls for him to move against his opponents in the Cabinet.
His supporters also feel that he should exercise the powers of incumbency and this includes the Special Branch, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Inland Revenue Board. In this way, he will keep his Barisan MPs in check and dissuade them from joining the Opposition.
One of his supporters likened the current situation to a war, with Abdullah and his troops on one side and the Pakatan Rakyat and their soldiers on the other. Anyone who breaks ranks in a war is guilty of treason.
"Datuk Yong Teck Lee is guilty of a serious offence and should be treated with little sympathy by the PM. All the powers of the state should be brought to bear against him, '' said the official.
Just after the Sabah Progressive Party chief said that it had lost confidence in the leadership of Abdullah, the ACA announced that it would investigate an allegation that Yong paid a bribe of RM5 million in a case involving a state-owned company.
Political watchers speculated that this was the start of tough action by Abdullah to rein in his critics. But till today ─ two weeks later ─ the ACA have not questioned Yong.
Yong, Muhyiddin, Rais know that they are on safe ground when it comes to confronting Abdullah. He will promise tough action, huff and puff but will be slow to reply to their insubordination with a muscular and ruthless reply.
Why? Because his eyes are fixed on judgment day, and for him that day does not fall on Sept 16 or this December.
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