Zahid and UMNO are playing both Anwar and Loke like a yo-yo.
Scrambling to meet UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for an explanation after 14 UMNO assemblymen suddenly withdrew their support for Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Aminuddin Harun, citing a loss of confidence, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his sidekick Transport Minister Anthony Loke could only hope – and pray – that the infamous Sheraton Move would not repeat.
It was already bad that Chinese voters were angry with Loke’s leadership in the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the de facto Chinese component of Anwar’s ruling coalition, Pakatan Harapan. Under Loke Siew Fook, the party, once seen as a protector against religious extremism and a defender of Chinese community interests, has now been reduced to a toothless tiger, or worse, MCA 2.0.
The DAP secretary-general proclaims Zahid has rejected the formation of a new state government or a “backdoor” government in Negeri Sembilan. Since when has Anthony Loke become the disgraced spokesperson of Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister? The hilarious part is that Zahid has not personally, publicly, or directly announced his rejection of such a backdoor effort.
What is so hard for Zahid to openly express his disagreement and displeasure over the UMNO chapter in Negeri Sembilan seizing power, if indeed the UMNO president did not know about the coup as claimed? Interestingly, Loke is the only minister amongst the 31 ministers who claimed that Zahid himself had conveyed in Cabinet that he does not agree to any attempt to form a new government.
So far, Zahid Hamidi has only said the crisis will be resolved through political channels and in accordance with the law, without interfering with state institutions. In fact, not only did he not reprimand any of the 14 rebels, but he also has “defended” the rogue UMNO assemblymen’s move to withdraw support for Chief Minister Aminuddin as having been made in good faith. Seriously?
Their actions should not be misinterpreted, argued Zahid, as it was intended to strengthen the position of royal and customary institutions. Based on his argument, were the 14 UMNO assemblymen going against the current Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz, or against the Undang Yang Empat, who is trying to sack the Malay ruler?
Yes, Zahid and UMNO are playing both Anwar and Loke like a yo-yo. He claims that all 14 UMNO assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan support the state unity government, despite clear attempts to overthrow Aminuddin. He says there was no betrayal, even after UMNO Negeri Sembilan had joined forces with the opposition. He argues it was just a matter of different perceptions and interpretations, even though all 14 UMNO assemblymen had quit.
Fork-tongued Anwar appears to have met his match when, despite Zahid’s insistence of support for the Unity Government, Negeri Sembilan UMNO is allowed to continue attacking the prime minister’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Its chief, Jalaluddin Alias, indirectly mocked PKR, which secured only five seats in the 2023 Negeri Sembilan state election compared to UMNO’s 14 seats.
Obviously, power-hungry Jalaluddin is questioning PKR’s legitimacy. He was insulting PKR’s shameless and desperate measure to cling to power by insisting that Aminuddin remains the legitimate chief minister, although the vice-president in Premier Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat is left with the support of just 17 members in the 36-strong state legislature – short of the 19 needed to form a simple-majority state government.
Jalaluddin said UMNO Negeri Sembilan would now sit in the opposition for as long as it believes the state government is not performing effectively – contrary to UMNO president Zahid’s rhetoric that the crisis was solved. In a slap in the face of PKR and DAP, Zahid even said that the no-confidence statements made are individual opinions that should be “respected”.
But there is still one big elephant in the room that both big talkers, Anwar Ibrahim and Anthony Loke are trying very hard to avoid – UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan. Critics are questioning the support of the UMNO strongman in the Negeri Sembilan coup. Known as “Tok Mat”, the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar from 2004 to 2018, was one of the 14 rebellious UMNO assemblymen.
As the assemblyman for Rantau – one of the 14 UMNO-led Barisan Nasional assemblymen who withdrew support for Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin – Mohamad Hasan’s “silence” has become even more significant not only due to his stature within UMNO and his deep roots in Negeri Sembilan, but also because he is also the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Perhaps Anwar and Loke should try to convince their respective grassroots that both top leadership of UMNO – Zahid and Mohamad – were clueless about the UMNO Negeri Sembilan attempted coup to seize power. If you believe both the UMNO president and deputy president had no idea about the treachery, then you should also believe in the Tooth Fairy and Peter Pan’s Neverland.
While DAP only dare to outsource to its youth wing the task of demanding PM Anwar to sack Mohamad Hasan as foreign minister, which is nothing but a political drama to make DAP look tough and outspoken, all PKR leaders are as quiet as church mice. To distract from PKR’s cowardice, PM Anwar condemned the Israeli regime’s interception of the “Sumud Flotilla” ships carrying humanitarian aid for Palestine.
Trying to downplay UMNO’s betrayal by blaming UMNO Negeri Sembilan as the sole troublemaker, Anwar and Anthony do not have the courage or balls to directly confront Mohamad Hasan. To sack the UMNO No. 2 would mean a declaration of war with the Malay nationalist party, which could lead to a withdrawal of support for power-hungry Anwar.
Anwar’s “Achilles heel” is the Iron Throne. And UMNO knew the fake reformist would do anything to cling to power, including “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” even when the PKR state government in Negeri Sembilan is on the brink of collapse due to UMNO’s betrayal and backstabbing. This has emboldened notorious UMNO Youth Chief Akmal Saleh to challenge Pakatan Harapan to sack all UMNO leaders.
Akmal’s bold and arrogant challenge has been met with “silence” from terrified PKR and DAP leaders. As Anwar and Loke buried their heads in the sand, everyone within Pakatan Harapan chickened out at PKR and DAP’s disgraced leadership. The prime minister could only say the issue should be handled carefully and prudently to preserve political stability and respect constitutional principles.
UMNO’s game is crystal clear. At the federal level, they will continue to support PM Anwar until the Parliament is dissolved. But at the state level, they will try to seize power and form a backdoor government to expand power in preparation to take over the federal government after the next 16th General Election. They backstab friends and allies at the state level but feign ignorance at the federal level.
The endgame is to create political instability to pressure Anwar Ibrahim to call for a snap election this year to take advantage of the increasing economic turmoil as a result of the Iran War. The only reason Aminuddin’s administration hasn’t collapsed is due to a “deadlock” – a government that continues to function, yet whose legitimacy is being questioned.
Still, Chief Minister Aminuddin can’t hide and has to go through a vote of no confidence to confirm his legitimacy. Marking the 80th anniversary of UMNO, Zahid Hamidi said UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition is “almost certain” to contest the next general election independently or “go solo”. – Finance Twitter