UMNO’S “court cluster” leaders want to delay party polls until after the general election so that they can have better control of the party and to get rid of their internal rivals, said a political analyst.

These leaders –  so referred because they face criminal charges – are party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, secretary-general Ahmad Mazlan, Putrajaya MP Tengku Adnan Mansor, Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim and former president Najib Razak.

Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said these leaders had their own agendas.

Meanwhile, the “minister cluster” want party elections to be held before national polls because they were fear they will not be chosen to represent the party in the general election.

This cluster is made up of Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau MP), Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong MP) and Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa (Ketereh MP), all of whom do not hold leadership positions in the party.

“They are afraid of not being picked to contest in GE15,” Awang told The Malaysian Insight.

“So they need to have a position in the party.

Zahid’s faction have decided to cut off ties with Perikatan Nasional while the Umno ministers have remained loyal to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Awang said this has caused open fighting in Umno ahead of the party elections.

Khairy has said that party elections must be held to resolve the internal crises.

In the last party polls, Khairy ran for and lost the party presidency to Zahid. Hishammuddin chose not to defend his  vice-president’s post. 

Grassroots want quick decision

Meanwhile, Umno’s grassroots leaders were willing to leave the matter to the Supreme Council to decide.

Terengganu Umno Youth chief Tengku Haphiz Tengku Putera said the grassroots had no issues as to when party polls should be held.

He said that the sentiments to play up the election issue were done by those who wanted to split Umno.

“The decision on when the party elections will be held won’t split Umno.

 “We will leave it to the Supreme Council to make the decision,” he said.

He added that Umno has faced many political challenges since Barisan Nasional was defeated in GE14, which saw some leaders leaving the party without waiting for the party elections.

However, he personally prefers the party election to be held after GE15.

“I think it is more appropriate to focus on GE15 first. The question of party elections is no longer necessary because we need to focus on the general election,” he said.

Umno youth exco Wan Muhammad Asri Wan Deris however said the Supreme Council needs to make an immediate decision to determine the election period.

He said the grassroots were concerned with several recent developments, including the leaked audio clip purportedly between Zahid and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

In the leaked clip, voices sounding like Zahid and Anwar are discussing political moves despite Umno’s decision at its recent annual general assembly not to work with Anwar, DAP or Bersatu.

Both Zahid and Anwar have denied having such a conversation.

Wan Muhammad also said differences of opinion between party members and leaders were normal but the final decision on the selection of leaders needs to be made before the election.

He said that party members understood that GE15 will be held after the emergency, and that party elections should be held before that.

“Then we can prepare for GE15 with the new leadership which is more confident.”

He also added that Zahid should step down or go on temporary leave because the majority of Umno delegates were not confident in the president’s leadership.

He added that his proposal did not mean that he was an ally of PN as he had been labelled before.

However, he said the proposal was to save Umno.

“By saying this, I am not a traitor to Umno or an ally of PN. I stand for the unification of the ummah, the Malays,” – April 14, 2021.