NAJIB Razak has been appointed as Barisan Nasional backbenchers’ chairman (BNBBC) ahead of next week’s crucial parliamentary meeting.

BN sources told The Malaysian Insight the former prime minister’s appointment would give him a position in the Dewan Rakyat and put him in the thick of things as Parliament meets to debate Budget 2021 to be tabled on Friday.

“Najib was appointed recently ahead of the important Parliament meeting so he can direct the BN backbenchers in the house,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

BN has 43 MPs but with 20 in government, the 23 backbenchers will drive debate on the budget with their speeches and reflect Umno’s demand on the budget.

As BNBBC head, Najib will set the tone of these debates through instructions to BN backbenchers and what they should speak on.

He will also be in a position to decide the order of the debaters from the BN ranks.

Najib is expected to play an active role as his court cases have been suspended because of the conditional movement-control order (CMCO) in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya which ends on November 9.

Najib was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and fined RM210 million after he was found guilty of all seven charges, including one for abuse of power involving the Retirement Fund Inc’s (KWAP) RM4 billion loans to SRC International Sdn Bhd, three counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving RM42 million and three counts of money laundering.

He is appealing against the conviction.

Najib, 67, is presently facing four charges of abusing his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds and 21 charges of money-laundering involving the same amount. The trial is set to resume on November 9 if the CMCO is lifted.

The source told The Malaysian Insight that Najib’s appointment as BNBBC chairman comes amid tension between Umno and Bersatu, with Najib playing a bigger role to resolve the dispute.

“He is experienced so he can influence the parliamentarians,” the source said.

Najib relinquished all his positions from BN and Umno when the coalition lost in the 2018 general election. In July last year, he was appointed as BN adviser.

BN is made up of Umno, MCA and MIC and PBRS after parties deserted the coalition upon the huge loss suffered in the last elections.

These parties have 43 seats with Umno (39), MCA (2), MIC (1) and PBRS (1). The parties aligned themselves with Perikatan Nasional to form the government in March after the fall of Pakatan Harapan.

PN also has a backbenchers’ club which Umno’s Arau MP Shahidan Kassim heads and deputised by PAS’ Pasir Puteh MP Dr Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh.

The BN parliamentary whip is Umno president and Bagan Datuk MP Ahmad Zahid Hamidi while the PN parliamentary whip is Bersatu’s Gombak MP Mohamad Azmin Ali.

The whip’s power is binding on all BN parliamentarians, including ministers and deputy ministers, who must abide by his directive when voting, including on Budget 2021.

BN is still an official coalition and the four parties are still a part of it as they have yet to sign up with the newly registered PN.

Last month, Umno refused Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s offer to join the PN coalition and instead asked Bersatu to join Muafakat Nasional (MN).

The MN charter is made up of Umno and PAS and is seeking to be registered as an official entity.

Tensions in the past month between Umno and PN have increased with Umno leaders claiming the party has been side-lined in the government.

A Supreme Council meeting on Thursday decided Umno will stick with PN only until the elections and urged for GE15 to be called when the Covid-19 pandemic eases. – November 1, 2020.