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PETALING JAYA: Umno could use a leadership change before facing the 15th general election (GE15), but it shouldn’t be through an election that could prove divisive, says one analyst.
Azmi Hassan, formerly of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), said that any changing of the guard must be done “internally” and “voluntarily”, through an arrangement agreed by the Supreme Council of Umno.
He warned against the elections, saying “losers” could be tempted to quit the party to join the PPBM, adding that not only top leaders or parliamentarians would come out.
“PPBM needs not only MPs from Umno, but also members, in terms of divisions and branches. Therefore, for Umno to change leadership through partisan polls before GE15 is not advisable, ”he told FMT.
Since Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s pending court cases make him a liability for the party, Azmi said the best man to take the reins of Umno would be Vice President Mohamad Hasan, also known as Tok Mat.
“Tok Mat has no luggage. For the last three years, he has shown that he is with Umno all the time, while he is willing to criticize the match for its own good, ”Azmi said about the former Negeri Sembilan menteri kissing.
Oh Ei Sun of Singapore’s Institute of International Affairs said he wouldn’t call partisan elections anytime soon if he were Zahid, but acknowledged that grassroots sentiments were simply against Umno being anyone’s second fiddle.
Whoever leads the party needed to be able to make Umno the “big brother” or risk losing leaders and members to the PPBM.
“They want to be the older brother. No matter who leads Umno, this discontent at being secondary will continue until the day when Umno is once again in charge of a ruling coalition. “
Nonetheless, he said that a new leader would give Umno a fresher image and could make it more attractive even to Malaysian voters who were leaning towards Pakatan Harapan.
“Who’s the best? The usual suspects, namely Tok Mat, Hishammuddin Hussein, Khairy Jamaluddin and a few others. It can’t be Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah,” Oh said.
Khairy recently called for early elections in the Umno to resolve internal party problems before GE15.
His comments came after Umno decided at his general assembly last weekend to “go solo” and compete under the Barisan Nasional banner in GE15, although he is trying to keep his ties to PAS intact through Muafakat Nasional ( MN).
On Thursday, PAS chairman Abdul Hadi Awang called for a “new alliance” inviting Muslim groups to join Perikatan Nasional and is reportedly leaving MN.
