The Malaysian Insight

UMNO will emerge stronger after its polls in March following the clean-up conducted by its president to get rid of all rebels and those who don’t toe the line, analysts said.

They said that the massive purge undertaken by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by either sacking or suspending his rivals and critics had left him as the sole person in charge of the party.  

They added that the party polls will see his loyalists and backers being elected to top positions, which in turn will only make Zahid’s position stronger.

Ummo has also imposed a no-contest rule for the top two posts, shutting the door for challenges against Zahid, they noted.

“Umno has done its cleansing, and there is only one camp, which is the camp that supports the president. Umno will go on to strengthen the party (after the election),” said Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) analyst Mazlan Ali.

“The are no camps in Umno now, only the president’s supporters remain as those who opposed him are gone.

“In Umno now, the majority of members are with Zahid,” he added.

Umno’s election for its top leaders is on March 18.

The party general assembly on January 14 decided not to allow any contest for the top two posts.

Weeks later, the party sacked and suspended dozens of party members and leaders who allegedly violated party discipline, especially during the general election (GE).

Among those subjected to action included former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin who was sacked while former vice president Hishammuddin Hussein was suspended for six years.

Khairy and Hishammuddin had been previously touted to challenge Zahid for the president’s post. 

With the no-contest rule in place for the top two posts, the attention now focuses on the three vice presidential seats. 

The positions, currently held by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Mahdzir Khalid and Mohamed Khaled Nordin, are expected to be contested by up to 10 candidates. 

Political lecturer at Universiti Malaya Awang Azman Awang Pawi thinks Umno’s internal cleansing will continue in the party elections as well, especially at the divisional level.

“In the name of unity to strengthen the party, they will choose people who are loyal to the president.

“There is still a lot more to be done at the division level to reduce the internal crisis,” he said. 

Grassroots reaction

Some grassroots Umno leaders, however, are worried about the reaction of Umno members during the party elections in March. 

The party’s poor performance in the GE and the internal turmoil has left Umno members confused about the true direction of the party, said a division leader who did not want to be named.

“Some of them expressed their desire not to hold a branch meeting, some wanted to let the branch be closed. They protested, because they were confused by what was happening.

“They feel like they are being asked to blindly follow what the president wants,” he said, who spoke to The Malaysian Insight on condition of anonymity.

Ilham Center executive director Hisomuddin Bakar said the party still has some who feel that Umno is not in control although it is part of the unity government. 

“These people think Umno is the same as it was after the Sheraton Step, when sitting in the government of prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and then prime minister Ismail Sabri. 

“Umno’s grassroots feel that their grip is no longer strong because the political atmosphere has changed. 

“They no longer feel they are important in the government compared to the BN-dominated government,” he said. 

He added that people in this group had lost interest in party affairs after Umno and BN lost the general election twice, in 2018 and 2022. 

“These people survive because Umno is still in government. That’s the attraction as these members are looking for political appointments and so on,” said Hisomuddin. –  February 8, 2023.