Two-year wait is too long for some

Two-year wait is too long for some

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 ─

By the time the Umno divisional leaders filed into the hall at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday afternoon, they already knew they were about to hear the retirement plans of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The gossip machinery ─ well-oiled in this town ─ went into overdrive in the morning after a news website named June 2010 as the date that Abdullah will hand over power to his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

When he met the party's grassroots leaders, Abdullah said he had heard their calls to resign after the disastrous March 8 polls, which saw the Umno-led Barisan Nasional suffer unprecedented thumping losses.

He named the date for stepping down. But by then, everyone just wanted to hear what the anointed successor had to say.

Those present said Najib gave a touching speech about his gratitude to Abdullah and reiterated his loyalty to him.

"He told the divisional leaders that he had never challenged his party president before, and was not about to do it now," a divisional leader said.

"Today is the start of the process of an organised leadership transition. I'm touched by (Abdullah's) willingness to let go of his position. It is not an easy thing to do. But he is willing to do so to respect public wishes."

The two men embraced on stage, and Abdullah was reportedly teary. However, when they later met reporters, both of them were wearing broad smiles.

Abdullah said his retirement plan had been well received by the grassroots. "They gave me a standing ovation, and I take that to mean that they accept it," he said.

But while the move will take some pressure off Abdullah, who has been besieged by calls to spell out his succession plan, the coming months may not go according to script.

A divisional leader from Perak said he had heard many grumbles around him over the 2010 deadline. Two years into the future was too far ahead for some.

The standing ovation, he remarked, masked the murmurs of disquiet.

“A few people began standing, and it's awkward to remain seated,” he said.

The 2010 time frame has never been fully accepted ever since Abdullah gave notice of the date to the Umno grassroots in a series of meetings earlier this year. They wanted a more immediate handover to Najib.

Even prior to yesterday's announcement, several top party leaders still wanted Abdullah and Najib to name an earlier date, possibly the end of next year.

Observers, therefore, believe the announcement is unlikely to quell the frenetic whirl of politicking that has gripped Malaysia since the general election threw the power balance out of kilter.

One political analyst suggested that by 2010, Abdullah may well change his mind about handing over power ─ an outcome that Najib is acutely aware of. His supporters are said to be unhappy about the time frame.

Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has gone further by predicting that Najib will never get the top job.

Writing in his blog, Dr Mahathir said that well before 2010, Najib will be weakened by all the mud-slinging, so much so that he will no longer appear fit for office.

Najib has been dogged by accusations of corruption, and more recently by allegations that he had sexual relations with a Mongolian woman who was later murdered.

He has said that he did not know her, and yesterday repeated this assertion to the Umno grassroots leaders.

Wrote Dr Mahathir: “Someone regarded as more loyal to Datuk Seri Abdullah will replace him but this replacement will not become prime minister in 2010 due to lack of experience.”

He predicted that Abdullah will carry on as Prime Minister until the next general election, due in 2013.

With the continued rumblings in Umno, the politicking can be expected to intensify rather than dissipate following the announcement.

Although the move to publicise the succession plan was clearly intended to calm the Umno grassroots ahead of their annual meetings which begin next Thursday, the rank and file are still restive.

These meetings are the start of the nomination process for candidates for the party's top posts. Abdullah has asked for nominations to contest the party president's post, with Najib as his deputy.

He needs at least 58 of the party's 191 divisions to nominate him, in order to contest in the Umno polls in December.

Some analysts say that his spelling out of his exit plan is to increase his own chances of securing the nominations.

“This is to pre-empt any possible rebellion among the grassroots ahead of the start of the branch meetings,” said an Umno insider.

Some in the grassroots are querying not just the lengthy handover period but also the apparent attempt to fend off challengers.

Cheras Umno division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee was quoted as saying in the Utusan Malaysia daily yesterday that the choice of candidates should be left to the party divisions, and not dictated from the top.

This view is shared by another aspirant to the top post, Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has declared his intention to take on Abdullah for the party presidency.
John Pang, an aide to the prince, slammed the party's system of choosing its top leaders as undemocratic.

“The party's quota system for nominations and this manner of stitching up positions are undemocratic. Umno has become a top-down patronage machine that no longer represents the aspirations of the members,” he told The Straits Times.

He said this “arrogant, top-down measure” sends a message to the grassroots that they will not be heard.

The grassroots will take time to absorb yesterday's move by Abdullah, but watchers are betting that more acrimony, rather than mere acquiescence, will be the outcome.

─ Singapore ST