UMNO can well afford to ditch its splinter party, Bersatu, and still win handsomely in the next general election, said analysts.

After two years in the opposition and returning to government since March, changes in the political landscape have seen more Malay votes restored to Umno. It appears the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, in which former prime minister Najib Razak played a key role, no longer haunts the party.

Umno will not need Bersatu’s support in the next elections, said political analyst Mazlan Ali.

“Umno can win and regain power by itself. And with PAS, it will be even stronger,” he said, referring to Umno’s pact with the Islamist party called Muafakat Nasional.

Umno and PAS yesterday said they will register Muafakat Nasional as an official coalition and face the next general election together.

Mazlan said Bersatu needs Umno’s seats and has little chance of getting them.

“Both parties will be vying for the same seats and one will need to be sacrificed.

“Like conjoined twins sharing one heart, one will have to be sacrificed to save the other. Otherwise the same political crisis will recur.”

The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia professor said the last straw for Umno were the events in the aftermath of the Sabah elections.

Umno was stood up in the last minute when Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin made party mate Hajiji Md Noor chief minister instead of Umno’s Bung Moktar Radin.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Awang Pawi said Umno’s biggest achievement is the fading spotlight on Najib.

“Najib is no more, the 1MDB scandal has also lost traction,” Awang Azman said.

Although Najib is still influential among a segment of Malay grassroots, he no longer holds a formal leadership position in Umno on the national level. He is, however, still the Pekan Umno chief and the MP for the constituency.

Bersatu is now perceived as being power crazy as it had led the “Sheraton Move” in February to topple the Pakatan Harapan government.

Though smaller and weaker than Umno in strength and organisation, the fact that its leader Muhyiddin is the prime minister has allowed it to dictate who should fill the cabinet and positions in government and government-linked entities.

“Bersatu is seen as the power-hungry one now. All the strategic ministerial portfolios are theirs, even the Sabah chief minister’s post,” Awang Azman said.

While Umno is said to be negotiating new terms with Muhyiddin for its continued support for his government, Awang Azman said he did not think a new deal would save Bersatu in the next general election.

Umno already sees that long-term cooperation with Bersatu is unviable, he said.

“Even if Umno gets its terms met, it will not want to share seats with Bersatu.”

Analyst Azizuddin Sani, said Barisan Nasional’s 43 parliamentary seats give Umno leverage in negotiations for even more seats to contest in the polls..

“Umno is perceived to be the king-maker. It is the basis for its demands,” said the Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer.

Azizuddin added discord between Umno and Bersatu is not confined to within the national leadership but goes all the way down to the rank and file and the divisional, village and grassroots levels.

“There are many layers that make things difficult to resolve. The situation is such that Bersatu has become as abhorrent as DAP to Umno members.”

Several Umno leaders have grown increasingly vocal about the party’s strained relationship with Bersatu and its position in the PN government.

Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin said the party had other options besides cooperating with Bersatu, while Supreme Council member Razlan Rafii has advised Bersatu to make the party “new offers” if the splinter party wishes to save its skin.

Umno has conveyed its demands to Bersatu, which has asked for the demands to be formally submitted in a letter to Muhyiddin for consideration.

The deputy prime minister’s post and more cabinet portfolios are believed to be among the demands.

The Umno Supreme Council was to have met in Pahang yesterday to review its position in relation to PN but the conference was deferred as interstate travel is discouraged under the conditional movement control order in effect in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. – October 21, 2020.