'Tun M & Co's interests reflected in son's move for Umno VP'

The bid by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir for a Umno vice-president post is not just about winning a position within the party.

According to political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the move also reflects his own father's interests to retain power and influence.

“A win or lose (for Mukhriz) is not the point. The point is to signal their presence,” said Shamsul, referring also to Mahathir’s supposed close allies Tan Sri Sanusi Junid and Tun Daim Zainuddin, who he claimed were all leaders from Kedah who were ‘interdependant’ of each other.

Sanusi’s son, Akhramsyah Sanusi, had confirmed his intention last week that he would be going for the Umno Youth chief position, taking on incumbent Khairy Jamaluddin.

“They (Mahathir, Daim and Sanusi) all have interests in the Umno leadership and this is based on the larger interest of economy control,” said Shamsul.

“With billions of dollars in the offing, nothing is better than being in the centre of Umno,” he said.

Shamsul said that Mahathir had managed to retain influence for years even after his successor Tun Abdullah Badawi took over in 2003.

Mahathir, he said, has always been a power broker, playing from the fringes of political centre of power. “With (former Singapore prime minister) Lee Kuan Yew, he made himself a senior minister and minister mentor, but Mahathir stepped down and continued to wield his influence.”

Shamsul further claimed that many Umno leaders were not interested in the future of the Malays and were willing to “sell the Malays” for their own interests.

Mukhriz’s means that there will be at least six contenders for the three vice president posts in Umno. The incumbent are Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.

Former Melaka chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad have also announced their intention to run.

Shamsul said that Mohd Ali is widely regarded as nearing his political end with his loss in Melaka, but “if he does not contest and make it known, people will forget him very quickly,” he said.

“While there are those who lost in the election, especially Opposition held states like Kelantan, Penang and Selangor, they can promise Umno to wrest back those states and that makes them powerful in Umno.”

Shamsul said that the more important positions in Umno were those of the Supreme Council, which is more powerful compared to before Abdullah Badawi’s time, where "everybody listened to the president, Tun M".

“Collectively, what can vice-presidents do? Before Abdullah Badawi’s time, Mahathir was very powerful and the supreme council is not, but now it is the opposite,” he said.

Meanwhile, political analyst Prof Madya Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin at Universiti Teknologi Mara, said that Mukhriz would have an uphill battle winning his intended post.

“Usually in the context of Umno it is easier for the office bearer to maintain their position, said Shaharuddin.

He added that in the context of umno, the state that the leader hails from is also important.

“All the current leaders come from Sabah, Johor and Kedah respectively, which have big parliamentary seats and divisions,” he said.

“Mukhriz has potential and has support from his father, but he is from a sate only with 15 division… therefore he would be having a difficult task,” he said.

During his announcement yesterday, Mukhriz, who used the slogan ‘Berani Berubah’, said: “What I’m offering is a sense of hope for members that Umno is truly changing and that it’s making itself relevant to the young

“I may look 34 but I am almost 50. So, I think it will not be accurate to say that I’m too young or should wait another term,” he reportedly said.

Mukhriz said that he would not deny the good that his father had brought to the party.

“I feel good that I can continue what he has fought for but I think also have some of my own ideas for the future.”