Najib has to decide whether to heed former PM's call to contest Penanti by-election
April 23, 2009
WHILE some in Umno may have been hopeful that ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's return to the party will bring back some public support, analysts are not so sure.
According to liberal news portal Malaysian Insider, Dr Mahathir will become a liability to Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's fledgling leadership despite being instrumental in his rise to power.
It said yesterday that Dr Mahathir's zealous call for Barisan Nasional (BN) to contest in the Penanti by-election has divided Umno and added unnecessary pressure on Mr Najib, who had mooted the possibility of BN not fielding a candidate.
Prime Minister Najib now appears stuck with the headache of either accommodating the powerful and influential former PM or maintaining an image of a leader capable of making his own decisions.
Mr Ibrahim Suffian from the independent Merdeka Center told The Malaysian Insider: 'There is a possibility that it will keep recurring given how influential Mahathir is in Umno. Mahathir can be a very damaging factor to Umno and Najib, but he can also be a positive one as well.
'Whether they like it or not, Mahathir is extremely influential and he was the guy who recently shaped the country's history and the political landscape is made in such a way that Umno will definitely have to stick with him for the coming years.'
Falling out with Dr Mahathir, the longest serving leader in Malaysia's history, can be politically fatal as can be seen with the ousting of former Umno president and prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
And in the case of the Penanti by-election in Pennang, Dr Mahathir is showing signs that he is still keen on flexing his muscles to influence Umno's direction, which means that PM Najib must find ways to accommodate the former premier's views to avoid upsetting his endorser.
That means Mr Najib will now have to deal with DrMahathir's influence and external pressures from opposition party Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Political scientist Dr Mustapha Ismail of Universiti Utara Malaysia said that while it was right for a leader who helmed the party for 22 years to express his views, it was also tactically apt for the former Umno president to be 'a bit more careful' with what he says publicly.
His statement on the Penanti by-election has left Mr Najib facing a situation where he is forced to make a decision that may not please either and also split in the party further.
Said Dr Mustapha: 'On one side, Najib has to think about Mahathir, but at the same time, he would not want to be seen as a leader bowing down to Mahathir's wishes. This is certainly a difficult time for Najib but he has to take the risk and be firm.
'But the key indicator as to whether or not Mahathir is keen on exerting his influence on Umno is how he would react to Najib should he decide not to contest in the Penanti by-elections. This is definitely an interesting episode,' said Dr Mustapha, who believes Mr Najib would most likely listen to his BN peers and decide not to contest against PKR at the Penanti polls.
Advice, not demand
Another political analyst and associate professor with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Dr Agus Yusof, felt Dr Mahathir did not make such statements with the intention of meddling with Mr Najib's leadership.
'I think the statement made by Mahathir was done in the spirit of strengthening Umno and BN. Unlike popular opinion, what he said was not a demand but more of an advice.
'Should Najib decide not to contest there, I don't think Mahathir would lash out against him,' said Dr Agus.
Mr Najib is expected to announce BN's decision on fielding a candidate in three days' time when the supreme council convenes.
Adding pressure to his decision is a survey done by Permatang Pauh Umno division that found that the grassroots sentiments in Penanti were mixed and many were without any clear political preference, said liberal news portal Malaysiakini.
Said Mr Abdul Jalil, a former Penanti assemblyman: 'Our survey revealed that there is no clear direction on which the voters would vote.
'Thus, Umno has a fighting chance to regain the seat.'
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