Almost all of the UMNO nor PAS members and a bunch of cabinets do not have any knowledge of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) allegedly signed between Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob with Tan Sri Mahyuddin before the formation of the new government on 7 August last year.
It was witnessed by Bersatu’s Hamzah Zainudin and UMNO’s Annuar Musa, a staunch Ismail ally. Ismail took office as PM four days later. Interestingly the MOU was drafted by PAS’ secretary-general, Takiyuddin Hassan, presumable behind his President’s knowledge
The agreement included the deputy prime minister (PM) post, which will be handed over to the MP designated by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, a component party of the PN coalition.
The agreement also states that the newly appointed PM must also give the undertaking to hold talks and reach an understanding with the parties before determining the date of dissolution of the 14th Parliament, to be held no later than July 2022 or any mutually agreed date.
With the existence of the MoU now seemingly proven, numerous questions arise for which answers are necessary.
First and foremost, did Ismail keep the majority of UMNO members in the dark over the MoU’s existence, and if so, why? Was it out of fear that his party members might not support his candidacy as prime minister?
Even though Ismail’s administration has been in office for 12 months, (this week is its anniversary) it doesn’t appear that the prime minister has kept his promise. He needs to reiterate his explanation.
Was it because Bersatu was unable to present an UMNO-acceptable candidate?
Ismail might not have intended to follow through on his promise. Ismail’s inability to designate a deputy at the very least allayed UMNO members’ worries that, despite succeeding Muhyiddin as premier, Ismail would continue in subservience to him.
The question of why Muhyiddin would bring up the matter at such a late hour of the day is raised by all of this. Is he trying to take advantage of Ismail’s reluctance to call an early election to strengthen Bersatu’s position inside the government?
Or is he attempting to inflame tensions between rival UMNO groups to spur a motion of no confidence in Ismail’s administration from inside the party?
Above all, I believe why it happens now due to that Bersatu’s best chance at the polls is if it comes up against a divided UMNO. Currently, they are succeeding
To be fair to Ismail Sabri, we believe that the Federal Government’s internal strife, particularly between UMNO, Bersatu, and PAS leaders in the Cabinet, has limited the Prime Minister’s options.
Ismail Sabri, on the other hand, is probably seeking to postpone GE15 so he may maintain his position for as long as he can since, if UMNO wins, the Bera MP might not last long as prime minister.
Once the parliament is dissolved, Ismail Sabri is powerless and dead meat. There’s nothing to stop Zahid from refusing to sign a letter of candidacy for Ismail Sabri, who is seen as a temporary prime minister.
Without Zahid’s signature, Ismail Sabri is game over because he cannot become a prime minister without first winning a parliamentary seat. And why should Zahid sign the letter of candidacy “surat watikah” for his junior colleague who had challenged him last year, and will again challenge him for the prime ministership after the next 15th General Election?
Adding salt to the wound, a rift between Najib Razak and current no 2 in UMNO created a big drama that led to a seal of lips among their followers.
Last Month, Asia Times published an article following an interview with Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Deputy President of UMNO, otherwise known as Tok Mat, quoting the politician as saying that Najib should be sentenced to imprisonment for his part in the 1MDB scandal.
However, Tok Mat then disputed the report, saying his statements were taken out of context.
In response, the Asia Times journalist who conducted the interview, Nick Kochan, released the full audio recording of the interview and stood by the accuracy of the report.
Mohamad Hasan has maintained that his comments on Datuk Seri Najib Razak during an interview with Hong Kong-based news outlet Asia Times must be taken “in totality”.
He further stressed that his statements should not be viewed in a “piecemeal” way that could lead to an inaccurate interpretation.
“It is important for me to emphasise that the overall context of the interview is my assertion that every accused person is entitled to fair judgment without any conflict of interest as well as amnesty under Malaysian law granted after an accused has commenced serving his sentence.
“Everything that is out of context only gives a negative image to Najib and me and is used as propaganda material by UMNO’s political enemies.
For the record, Najib has been convicted on all charges related to the misappropriation of RM42 million from a former 1MDB unit and is on trial in two other cases related to the global corruption scandal. And currently undergoing the final appeal of his convection in the Federal Court.
Despite Najib’s popularity, it appears that not everyone likes the idea that the convicted former PM is hogging the limelight.
After the interview was published, Mohamad Hasan chicken out after his comments turned out to be too hot to handle, so much so that he was afraid it might rub someone up the wrong way.
Trying to twist and spin, the UMNO deputy president said he was merely explaining the pardon process in Malaysia. The funny part is, exactly why did Tok Mat have to explain about the pardon process if indeed he thinks Najib is innocent or the trial has been unfair?
For UMNO hardcore Mohamad Hasan was merely preparing himself for the worst-case scenario in Najib Razak’s corruption trial. It did not mean he wanted the former prime minister to be imprisoned.
Some may accuse Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PN) of attempting to pit UMNO leaders against one another to create division within the party, while others claim it is a plot devised by high-ranking UMNO leaders aligned with Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin to sensationalise the story.
According to our analysis, UMNO leaders, would not hesitate to cross red lines for the sake of power and status. But it came at a price. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Those who betray their friends will eventually be duped.
Tok Mat’s viewpoint is important because he is the party’s No. 2. He was an experienced politician who knew what he was talking about. Tok Mat, an equally ambitious guy who aspires to be Prime Minister, was using the interview to test the waters. Many UMNO leaders and members agree with him that Najib should be imprisoned after being found guilty by both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Yes, he deliberately used the interview to indirectly attack Najib to gauge the reaction from UMNO leaders and members. If he received heavy criticism, he knows it’s not the time to go for the top prize. So far, not a single UMNO leader has condemned Tok Mat. Not even Zahid, who has been singing songs of praise for Najib.
Where is UMNO now going? Will it attempt to find a safety net or leap from the cliff? And I think their new piece of luggage will be the RM6 billion unfinished battleship. I believe that all of this will cause the general election to be delayed until everything can be resolved, and UMNO hopes that the public will eventually forget all of the wrongdoing and begin to trust them again.
