The appointment of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister might not be popular but it is a decision Anwar Ibrahim had no choice but to make, say analysts.
“Zahid’s appointment as DPM is not a surprise given his position as BN chairperson and Umno president.
“If he is not appointed, this is considered discrimination. Zahid’s appointment is in line with the legal concept of innocent until proven guilty in our country.
“This is a legal concept in the Constitution and laws in this country,” said sociopolitical analyst Prof Awang Azman.
His views matched that of other analysts who said that both Anwar and Zahid are in a situation where they need each other’s support.
Old friends
Their political friendship goes back a long, long way, said James Chin, who is professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania. He pointed back to the mid-1990s when Zahid was seen as an Anwar protege within Umno.
He said that many Malaysians, especially those among the urban middle class, had hoped Zahid would be denied a role in Anwar’s cabinet given his 47 outstanding corruption charges.
“But the reality is that Anwar did not really have much of a choice, both from a personal and political standpoint.
“This might come as a surprise to many, but Zahid has good relations with Anwar and has been one of his most supportive allies, since their early days as young political activists in Universiti Malaya in the 1970s,” he added.
Chin said that GE15 was a bitterly fought contest in which BN became kingmaker.
“Had Zahid not supported Harapan in those crucial hours, the chance to govern and assume the top job in the land could have slipped through Anwar’s fingers again.
“In the days after GE15, when BN reached a 10-point deal with Harapan to pledge support to form the government in exchange for a deputy prime minister appointment, it was unthinkable for anyone else but the Umno chief to assume that position,” he said.
Suppressing dissent in Umno
According to Chin, the truth is that Anwar also needs to shore up Zahid’s position to keep Umno within the fold and prevent it from doing a U-turn.
Senior Umno leaders such as former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein, former communications minister Annuar Musa, and former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob have openly opposed joining with Harapan and publicly declared a mantra of “No Anwar, No DAP” while on the election trail, arguing instead for Umno to work with Muhyiddin.
Chin said at least five Umno leaders have openly expressed unhappiness with Zahid for aligning Umno with Harapan but have so far been deterred from jumping ship to PN as they would lose their parliamentary seats under the anti-hopping law passed in October.
“Of course, there’s nothing stopping any Umno leader from challenging Zahid for the party presidency when the Umno elections are held next year. But endowed with a senior position in government, Zahid may have the high ground to beat back dissenters,” said Chin.
Political scientist Wong Chin Huat added that the appointment of five Umno ministers from Zahid’s camp would definitely help their chance of re-election.
“The upcoming AGM would see heated debate on why BN lost and where Umno should go, paving way for the narratives in party elections.
“It is important for the Harapan government not to risk turning an Umno party election into a proxy warfare between Harapan and PN.
“Instead, Harapan should enter a coalition agreement with BN to lock in its participation in the government and send a clear message to work with whoever leads Umno,” said Wong.
University of Tasmania’s Chin then pointed out that Zahid has consistently made the argument that if Umno had picked PN in forming the government, the party would have zero chance of reviving its fortunes.
He said that joining the new government will also better position Umno as the dominant ruling party looking after Malay rights.
“Umno is the only exclusively Malay party in the Harapan government and can use that to differentiate itself from the rest of the ruling coalition, whereas Umno might see its space shrink in a PN government, where Bersatu and PAS will contend for the same Malay voters,” he said.
Chin said it was important to note that Zahid’s trials have already been set in motion and will have to continue irrespective of his appointment to the cabinet.
“Also under Malaysian law, one should be deemed innocent until proven guilty,” he added.
MCA and MIC sidelined
According to Wong, since BN contributes only 30 to a total of 148 seats, there is a limit to the number of cabinet portfolios that can be given to the coalition.
“From Umno’s perspective, one seat for MCA/MIC means one seat fewer for Umno, hence their exclusion is not surprising at all.
“MCA and MIC may get a deputy minister later, but their decline is inevitable now that Umno has lost its dominance over Malay voters for two consecutive elections,” said Wong.
Chin too does not expect MIC and MCA to make a significant contribution to this new government.
“My understanding is that both parties were not in the original list of BN ministers that Umno recommended.
“They may not have full ministership, but we could see one of them being given a deputy ministership when the full list is confirmed.
“I suspect it will be MIC because the Indians are underrepresented in the new cabinet,” he said.
A BN leadership meeting during the immediate aftermath of GE15
However, that may not happen either as the two parties face significant opposition from others.
“Basically, they have been totally rejected by the Chinese and Indians, so critics will ask why give them a place at all.
“However, it all depends on how the final numbers are,” he added
He said that it was very difficult for Anwar even to boost the number of deputy ministers because there is a lot of pressure on him not to keep adding posts just to reward the supporters.
“It’s a catch-22. We have to live with this hybrid cabinet because the other side is even worse. PN has an all-Malay, all-Islamic representation that doesn’t reflect the true multi-racial Malaysia.
“Malaysians also forget easily. By next week the appointment of the cabinet will not be an issue. We hope this government can stay together because one of the reasons the Pakatan Harapan government fell apart was infighting,” Chin concluded.
He said that in terms of the common goal for Malaysians, the most important thing is to revive the economy.
“Anwar has a big plate. We shouldn’t kacau (disturb) him too much. Yes, we can criticise, but basically, we need to move on,” he said. – Malaysiakini