THE Rantau by-election couldn’t have come at a better time for Umno which is in better shape to fight now compared with the days after the it lost the 14th general election, party members said.

Members’ spirits had revived as initial uncertainties over direction and leadership were banished as the party settled into its role as the opposition, they said.

And the party has just the right candidate for the Rantau state seat in the Rembau parliamentary constituency in Negri Sembilan: the Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan himself, a local boy and formerly the istate’s menteri besar.

Also, it has been more than six months since Pakatan Harapan took occupancy of Putrajaya, and its weaknesses are becoming more obvious to the people, Umno grassroots leaders said.

All these factors helped Umno face a by-election with renewed vigour, with a better outlook than when it contested the Sungai Kandis by-election in August, said Seri Cahaya Umno Youth information chief Hanapi Mohd Ali.

He said in Sungai Kandis and three subsequent by-elections in Seri Setia, Balakong and Port Dickson, voters did not show their unhappiness at the new government because of factors such as the candidates.

“But this time in Rantau, we need to campaign hard and make sure people express their unhappiness (with Pakatan) through their votes.

“Umno can regain its momentum in Rantau, more so because the candidate will be our deputy president,” Hanapi told The Malaysian Insight.

The Rantau by-election is likely to be held after the Seremban High Court declared the May 9 election null and void, thereby cancelling Mohamad’s win. He had won unopposed after PKR candidate Dr S. Streram was prevented by the returning officer from entering the nomination centre to file his candidacy papers.

Dr Streram filed a petition and sought a by-election on grounds Mohamad had not won the seat legitimately.

Mohamad has 14 days to file an appeal, failing which the Election Commission will move to set the dates for nomination and polling.

Shortly after the court’s decision yesterday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the party would field Mohamad in the Rantau by-election.

It will be the second time Umno is contesting in a by-election after the 14th general election, the first being Sungai Kandis where it fielded Lokman Noor Adam. It did not contest in three other by-elections but campaigned for the PAS candidate in the Seri Setia poll held in early September.

Hanapi said Umno members were previously disorientated as the party leadership had not given clear instructions on the Sungai Kandis by-election, while the first round of money-laundering charges were being brought against the party’s former president Najib Razak.

“There was turmoil over all sorts of questions regarding the leadership and direction. The grassroots felt lost when campaigning in Sungai Kandis and when helping PAS in the Seri Setia by0election.

Zahid was charged with 45 counts of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering on October 19. He also faced calls from Umno Youth to go on leave as president until his criminal cases were resolved, but stood firm.

On October 26, Zahid began his nationwide roadshow, starting in Terengganu. Hanapi said this served to boost the spirits of some grassroots members.

“When the top leadership comes down to meet the grassroots, we see that they still have the fighting spirit and we also feel revived,” Hanapi said, adding that Zahid’s roadshow would be coming to his area in Kuala Selangor tomorrow.

Zahid’s show of defiance has convinced other Umno members that criminal charges against him and other Umno leaders are a political agenda of the new government, said Umno Veterans’ Clubs secretary Mustapha Yaakub.

“We all know it is part of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s plan to weaken Umno and dampen our spirits. 

“What Dr Mahathir is doing now is nothing new, it’s the same tactic he used when he was prime minister the first time. Now, he’s just doing it to strengthen his own party, Bersatu,” Mustapha said.

Pasir Puteh Umno division chief Zawawi Othman also thinks the government is wrong in thinking that it can weaken Umno by throwing multiple charges against its leaders.

“The government is wrong if it thinks it can bring so many charges against Umno leaders. Umno members know the motive behind such actions.” – November 17, 2018.