QUELLING talk of factions within Umno, former party president Najib Razak posted a photo himself, successor Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, current acting president Mohamad Hasan and former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein on his social media platforms.

The photo shows the four around a table with the caption: “We are united for the sake of the party’s future, Muslims and the nation (Kami sepakat demi masa depan parti, ummah dan negara)”.

Najib’s post, uploaded late last night, comes after a tumultuous seven months in the party after Barisan Nasional lost the 14th general election last May.

In that time, the lynchpin BN party lost 17 MPs, leaving it with 37 seats in the Dewan Rakyat from the 54 it won in GE14.

The defections, which took place in stages, were blamed on Hishammuddin, the Sembrong MP.

Hishammuddin did not defend the vice-president post in party elections last June nor did he make a bid for either the deputy presidency or president’s post despite his seniority in Umno. He remains as Sembrong division chief.

The defections also led to calls for Zahid’s resignation as party president, a post he won in a five-cornered race, his main rivals being Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Khairy Jamaluddin.

Zahid handed over the president’s duties to Mohamad, the deputy president, in December while urging a stop to Umno’s bleeding.

Following the defections, the rank-and-file are talking about three camps – one under Zahid, who wantsto form a new government with other parties; Hishammuddin, who wants to leave Umno for Bersatu; and those who want to stay on and rebuild Umno as an opposition party.

Now, Zahid is on garden leave while Najib, despite facing 39 charges of corruption and abuse of power related to 1Malaysia Development Bhd, remains popular with some segments of the Malay community and is still actively speaking and meeting people.

Hishammuddin, meanwhile, has managed to fend off rumours that he had engineered the defections, in part, thanks to his cousin Najib’s defence two days ago.

Najib told Umno members at a dialogue in Shah Alam two days ago that Hishammuddin will remain in the party.

“Regarding Hishammuddin, I have spoken to him a few days ago and he assured that he will remain in Umno. 

“I also told him to not (turn his back), love and care for Umno because it is our blood and Alhamdullillah he gave that assurance to me,” Najib said.

Mohamad, meanwhile, appears to have consolidated Umno behind him, issuing what has so far been the strongest statement of the party’s direction since losing GE14.

He told Umno members to “fight money politics or leave the party” and said it will find a “new normal” as an opposition party that includes reviewing the way it champions Malay rights. – January 16, 2019.