Najib agrees to Dr M's re-entry in order to kick himself out?

Najib agrees to be left out?
9 Sept 2008

Najib has been informed of Dr Mahathir's rejoining Umno (despite having said that he will not do so unless Abdullah Badawi resigns) and he agrees to this despite the latter's intention of not supporting him for the top post? (See Dr M Backs Ku Li For Top Job)

With his re-entry, doesn't Abdullah also have to resign much earlier than his own arranged timetable (2010)? Is he also all for this? Or does he also agree finally that he will not be able to handle the on-slaught of the opposition that he had to give way?

Then again, does Dr Mahathir have the ability to move things around this time in Umno? Remember when he resigned from Umno (only recently), he asked other members to follow suit and rejoin it only when Abdullah resign? Nobody but one followed him then. In fact a lot of people were happy that things were becoming peaceful again. So, what makes Muhyddin think that Dr Mahathir will be able command any followings with his rejoining?

Dr Mahathir has done a lot for the country and may be well remembered for his contributions long after he is gone. However his constant interference with the governance of the country as a retiree has not been well received, especially when he persistently called for the resignation of the Prime Minister whom he hand-picked himself. He however later blamed the Umno councils for agreeing with his choice.

So is Dr Mahathir the best of the last options available to Barisan in this situation? Is there nobody else who can avert the feared scenario of Barisan becoming the Opposition party? Os is Dr Mahathir to be used as a front to pull down both Abdullah and Najib so that Ku Li and Muhyddin can be installed as the rightful heirs? If so then Dr Mahathir will be used to do all the dirty work so that another dynamic duo can take over. What happens to Dr Mahathir after the work is done? Will everyone be happy after that?

If Dr Mahathir is all that Umno has, then the Umno's future looks bleak. Dr Mahathir has been a great leader, but he won't be around forever. To call an eighty-over year old retiree to come back and run a ruling party doesn't augur well for its future. It definitely needs a new batch of better, younger, uncorrupt, non-racial leaders to help turn it around.