WITH UMNO having its annual general assembly (AGM), an academic said that it looked like the party is all “locked and loaded” for the 15th general election.
“Just look at the statements
made by UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. It’s very clear that they
are prepared for the general election.
“He even threw in innuendos
and teased certain ‘recalcitrant’ leaders within his own ranks. Basically,
UMNO’s old arrogance and confidence is back.
“The question now…is Pakatan
Harapan (Pakatan) ready if snap polls are called?” Arunachala Research &
Consultancy Sdn Bhd principal consultant R Paneir Selvam queried when contacted
by FocusM.
In the last few days, UMNO
delegates and leaders seem to be all fired up despite several UMNO delegates
boycotting the event following their objection over Datuk Hasni Mohammad being
by-passed by Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghani for the Johor menteri besar post.
In his speech, Zahid seemed to
be all fired up and even teased that his deputy, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan may
become the next prime minister should Barisan Nasional (BN) win the general
election.
Poison pen letters were also
distributed among delegates calling for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
Yaakob to dissolve the Parliament soon and allow Pekan MP, Datuk Seri Najib Tun
Razak to make a comeback as the head of Government.
Touching on the matter, Paneir
Selvam said that AGM was geared to create a perception that Najib and Zahid
were firmly in control of the party.
While Zahid may claim that the
party was not pressuring Ismail Sabri to dissolve the Parliament, strong moves
within the party indicated that it was not the case.
“Basically, the grassroots are
being mobilised from behind the scenes to pressure Ismail Sabri to call for snap
polls,” he mentioned.
On the Bagan Datuk MP’s
announcement that the party may field over 70% of new faces in the next polls,
Paneir Selvam opined that it was a signal that he is going remove all those who
were opposed to the Najib-Zahid combo, particularly the “Cabinet cluster”.
He added that people seem to
forget that while Ismail Sabri is the prime minister, it is Zahid in his
capacity as UMNO supremo, who will decide who gets to contest under the party’s
ticket in elections.
As for Najib, Paneir Selvam
said that it was obvious the former prime minister still wielded a lot of
influence in the party and the veteran politician was making full use of
it.
“The Melaka and Johor state
elections have cemented Najib’s influence in the party. You must remember that
when BN lost the last general election, he stepped down without anyone
pressuring him to do so.
“That act of taking
responsibility raised his popularity and respect within UMNO’s fold. So, don’t
get surprised if Najib makes a comeback as prime minister as the party’s
grassroots revere him,” he stressed.
You’re
not listening to voters, Pakatan
With Najib being instrumental
in dislodging Pakatan from Putrajaya and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s ouster from
Seri Perdana, it only strengthened the Pekan MP’s grip on UMNO.
“Nevertheless, the state
elections proved that UMNO is moving in the right direction and their leaders
are well aware of it,” Paneir Selvam.
Elaborating on Pakatan, the
academic said that it would be foolish for them to underestimate Najib’s
influence among voters, as proven in Melaka and Johor.
On voters’ apprehension
towards the Opposition, Paneir Selvam stated that the former had already given
a clear message on why they had rejected Pakatan but its leaders seemed not to
be listening.
“The clearest thing voters
have asked is…what is the difference between BN and Pakatan when they are doing
the exact same thing? Basically, the people are saying you need to be different
from them.
“That message is so loud and
clear but are they listening? For example, the memorandum of understanding
(MoU) they have signed with the Government.
“Voters simply cannot fathom
the logic in Pakatan signing the MoU with the BN administration when for years
the former had been accusing the latter of being corrupt and abusing their
powers,” he quipped.
While he agrees that there are
no permanent friends and enemies in politics, one should not cast away
principles just for the sake of power which is considered repulsive among
voters.
Offering solutions, Paneir
Selvam urged Pakatan leaders who signed the MoU to step down voluntarily to
salvage whatever little credibility they have left and allow new people to take
over.
“It’s good that DAP
secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and veteran Lim Kit Siang are stepping down from
their posts.
“But the same needs to happen
in PKR and Parti Amanah Negara as well. The senior leaders can take up advisory
positions but allow new crop of people to run the show from now on.
“And I hope with PKR vice
president Rafizi Ramli returning to active politics, he will rejuvenate PKR and
Pakatan so as to endear the coalition back to the voters…as it was prior to
2018,” he remarked. – March 20, 2022
Source: https://focusmalaysia.my/umno-agm-bn-is-all-geared-up-for-ge-while-pakatan-fumbles-expert-says/
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