EFFORTS are under way to coax Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to lead the party again, sources told The Malaysian Insight.

The leaders want the Umno president to take the helm as the Malay party appears to lack direction since Mohamad Hasan took over the president’s duties, said a source familiar with the matter, adding that senior party leaders are trying to persuade Zahid.

“Zahid will come back soon. There is someone influential in the party trying to convince him to come back from leave and lead again,” said the party insider.

The source added there have been very few efforts to shore up the leadership since Zahid went on leave six months ago.

He was slapped with 45 counts of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money-laundering involving RM114.15 million.

Party elections are due in 2021 while the next general election must be held before July 2023.

“But there is a list (‘cai’) of prospective leaders going around already,” said another source.

“This is being done to pit Umno leaders against each other and weaken the party.”

One of the lists dubbed “Team Tok Mat” has Mohamad as the party president with Mohamed Khaled Nordin as deputy.

The three vice-presidents on the list are Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Johari Abdul Ghani and Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

The list, currently being circulated in Umno circles, has attracted all sorts of comments.

One of the comments described the list as being irresponsible as party elections are not due for another two years.

Some of the members want the party leaders to focus on its partnership with PAS to face the next general election instead of worrying about who will lead the party.

Among one of the strategies being discussed with PAS include avoiding three-cornered fights that contributed to the end of Barisan Nasional’s 61-year rule.

Zahid told The Malaysian Insight in an interview in May that he was only “on leave” to calm things down in the party after 17 MPs decided to quit and join Pakatan Harapan.

The former deputy prime minister said he had never used the words “leave” but decided to let Mohamad run the party as president in his absence. – May 20, 2019.