Abdullah’s retirement plan has already come under fire from some quarters.
Political Editor
Malaysian Insider
JULY 11 — The applause and standing ovation of some 500 Umno leaders for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's retirement plan yesterday may not be representative for all of the party's 1.3 million members.
Barely 24 hours after Abdullah announced his decision to transfer power to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2010, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the first salvo, possibly as part of campaign to oust the Prime Minister as soon as possible.
The 83-year-old veteran politician, who quit the party recently, predicted yesterday that Abdullah would never allow Najib to take over; for him, the two-year waiting period is just the time the Prime Minister needs to find a way to get rid of his deputy.
Now Dr Mahathir, very much a popular figure among Umno members, is targeting the party's grassroots leaders and members to execute the plan.
Writing in his blog www.chedet.com. he asked grassroots members to tell their leaders: “We will not vote for Umno or Barisan Nasional as long as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is in Umno. BN will lose due to our deciding votes. Umno's losses will be even greater because Umno and BN no longer represent the people's views.”
"The majority's wish is for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign. Think about it. The one thing that would and could do it is the deciding votes," said the man who set up the party after it was declared illegal in 1987.
Dr Mahathir's loyal supporter Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, also a veteran Umno politician who quit the party together with his political master, has written in his blog sanusijunid.blogspot.com that Abdullah had perverted the no-contest rule in the party.
"Dr Mahathir agreed to the proposal (for a no-contest at the top level) to protect his deputy from being toppled, and not because his deputy was planning to topple him. Whereas Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wanted such a decision because he was afraid his deputy would topple him."
Although Abdullah was very open about anyone contesting him or Najib, yesterday's tone was an indication that the status quo was a better alternative than competition, as the top leaders believe it would cause a split in the party.
While the Malay voice outside of Umno may be seen as an irritant, Abdullah and Najib will have a tough task of deflecting criticisms from within the party.
Umno presidential hopeful Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah believed yesterday's announcement was a wrong move, arguing that the presidency should be left for members to decide.
"It's not proper for Abdullah to hand it over to anyone," he told the press in Kota Baru last night.
Reiterating his intention to contest for Umno's No. 1 post, the Kelantan prince said there was no provision in the party allowing for a succession plan.
Glaringly missing for the briefing by Abdullah and Najib to the party leaders yesterday was vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was in Japan for an official visit.
In a statement issued in Tokyo last night, the International Trade and Industry Minister's thinly-veiled criticism was there for all to see. "Some have expressed concern that if the duration is that long the situation will not become more convincing. This needs to be taken into account.
"There are party members who believe that it would be better for members themselves to decide on the question of leadership of the party," he said as quoted by Bernama.
Observers have noted that the transition plan will close the door for the Johor politician to contest for the No. 2 post, as some party members want to see a Najib-Muhyiddin tag team against Abdullah in the coming party elections in December.
For Muhyiddin, yesterday's Umno supreme council decision should be respected but he hoped it would not stop others from making decisions they deem best for them.
But not all are cynical about Abdullah's retirement plan. He too has his supporters such as Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who believes the transition plan will enable Umno and BN to fulfil their election promises.
Repeating the words of Abdullah and Najib, the Education Minister, whose own supporters are hoping for him to make a bid for 1 of the 3 vice-president's posts, said the transition plan was a relief to many Umno members.
Of course, there are many other Umno leaders who couldn't care less about Abdullah's plan but merely interested in self-preservation. They too will openly support their party president, at least for now.
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