AHMAD Zahid Hamidi’s sudden return from hiatus after six months was prompted by a need to safeguard his party position and stop speculation of a changing of guard in Umno, sources said.

They told The Malaysian Insight that Zahid’s handing over of his duties to his deputy Mohamad Hassan last year caused much talk and supposition, including that of a new leadership emerging in the next internal elections, due in 2021.

There are also rumours of a faction working to oust the president by amending the party constitution.

“At times like this, there should not be such talk. Leaders should focus on strengthening the party,” a party insider said.

“Zahid cut short his leave to return before the party fell into chaos.”

A group of Umno leaders known as Team Tok Mat are said to be waiting in the shadows to seize power.

As its name indicates, the group is led by Zahid’s deputy Mohamad. The members are party vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Johari Abdul Ghani and Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

Mohamad, who proposed to amend the party constitution, has been accused of plotting to remove his boss by such a move – a charge he has denied.

It is said the plan is to remove not only Zahid but also former Umno president Najib Razak, who like the current president, is tainted by corruption and money-laundering charges.

A motion to amend the Umno constitution is expected to be tabled in the extraordinary general meeting in November.

The amendment is not to topple anyone, Mohamad said, but to ease the admission process to swell the party ranks

Alleged co-conspirator Khaled also said there are no such amendments in the offing.

Meanwhile, another source said Zahid’s immediate appointment of five new Supreme Council members and two new state liaison committee chairmen upon his return was not fuelled by a secret agenda.

“The appointments were delayed because only the president could make the selections. Mohamad was merely the acting president,” the source said.

Last week, Zahid appointed division heads Mohd Puad Zarkashi (Batu Pahat), Johan Abd Aziz (Hulu Langat), Shaik Hussein Mydin (Bagan) and Yaakub Khan (Sepanggar), and deputy division head of Seputeh Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii to the Supreme Council.

Three days later, Shahidan Kassim and Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan were named as state liaison chairmen for Perlis and Selangor, respectively.

The source said Zahid did not sit idle while on leave. Instead, he visited mosques, orphanages, religious schools and old folk’s homes to keep his finger on the pulse.

“He visited these places to get first-hand information on current issues and how to improve Umno.” – July 9, 2019.