Before Najib’s verdict, thousands flock to the KL High Court to support him. After Najib’s verdict, barely a few stayed with the man found guilty.
Most top UMNO leaders stand divided immediately after the last general election. The official diagnosis of the defeat by some quarters was Najib and his 1MDB case. Khairy Jamaluddin said that without 1MDB, UMNO would not have lost the election.
However, the returning surge in popularity of Najib has caused many opportunistic UMNO leaders to think twice. Those who want Najib to leave found it hard to do so not only because he still controls a substantial portion of the party, but his popularity built on an effective propaganda machine is rising higher than when he was prime minister.
The simple rule for politicians is to always lean on who and what is popular. Even those in UMNO who detest Najib had to make an occasional public appearance with him so that his popularity could rub off them.
But once the axe has fallen and Najib is found guilty, many had started to abandon him. Of course, they could not abandon him completely since there are 2 more stages of appeal that Najib could take. The prosecution estimates that the whole process may take up to a year to complete.
Only until Najib is found guilty would the cautious UMNO men make their intentions clear.
But we can already see through what the top UMNO leaders say. The narrative is the same for all: They feel bad for Najib, but this the best time to change the party. In other words, Najib’s time is over. They just needed proof.
The person who eyes Najib’s throne the most is Zahid Hamidi. Although Zahid is the party president, the shadow of Najib still lurks over him. Not only does Zahid want to be the rightful UMNO president without an equal, he also wants to be the prime minister candidate for UMNO.
After Najib’s guilty verdict, he said that he felt bad for Najib and he believes that he is calm and resilient in a time like this. He wants Najib to pursue legal avenues. However, he said the party needs to do something. He even said that a “political decision” shall be made about this.
Zahid also urged UMNO members to remain calm and accept whatever decision the party makes, and “keep an open mind”. He is implying a further subjugation of Najib’s position in the party and strengthening his own.
The other camp who had made their declaration is the progressive camp of Mohamad Hasan and Khairy Jamaluddin. Immediately after the verdict, Khairy wrote on his blog something similar to Zahid but in a more explicit way. He said Najib still has options to pursue further appeals, but he hopes that UMNO is not dragged into this case any longer.
He said UMNO needs a fresh leadership composition and this is a time for rejuvenation. Once again, Khairy hopes for the loyalty of party members to remain. He said that party members should have their loyalty attached to the party and not any individual.
This is a clear sign by his faction to take over the UMNO reigns. This group consisting of Mohamad Hassan, Khairy, and Shahril Hamdan is the progressive faction who wants to draw a line with Najib. They are believers in a new UMNO by changing from within, and they want a total dislodgment of the past leadership.
The final camp is the strange camp of Hishamuddin Hussein. Being the cousin of Najib, he said that he was obviously hurt and sad, but he was impressed by the resilience and strength of Najib in facing this.
However, Hishamuddin too implied a break from Najib. He said that the dynamics of the party would surely change. And he wishes that party members put the party, government, and the country at its utmost priority. What he implies is a detachment from Najib and any liability that is associated with him.
This is unsurprising since Hishamuddin’s loyalty has always been doubtful. He was deemed the chief broker between Mahathir’s BERSATU and UMNO, and he is close to Azmin Ali’s Gang of 10 who is now without a home.
UMNO has done a good job in maintaining a united front despite the warring factions within. The cracks are only starting to show. UMNO politicians are masters in the art of power-grabbing. We must try to read between the lines to know what they really think.
Most people in UMNO are ready to abandon Najib and his inglorious past.
Image source:
1. Malaysiakini
2. Malaysiakini
