“However, no decision was reached. Those who stayed on at the meeting, after Najib left in a huff, remained unconvinced whether it was really necessary to replace Mukhriz.”
Indeed, gathered Shahbudin Husin, the meeting was more focussed on the potential political fallout if Mukhriz was ushered out at this juncture.
“There was genuine concern that replacing Mukhriz as Menteri Besar would further split the party and that Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) would lose Kedah again, come 2018 or even before, as in 2008.”
If it was not bad enough that the number who turned up for the Umno Kedah gathering was extremely disappointing, added Shahbudin , the meeting failed to achieve anything.
“It was learnt that although over 200 people were invited, less than 100 turned up, and of these many were Mukhriz’ supporters who wanted to see what was going on.”
The bottomline, pointed out Shahbudin, was that there was no consensus at all on replacing Mukhriz as Kedah Menteri Besar. “The 14 mutineers, led by Ahmad Bashah Hanipah, failed to plan and planned to fail.”
“The episode on Friday not only shamed the 14 mutineers but, even worse, shamed the Prime Minister who had been all gung-ho on removing Mukhriz as Kedah Menteri Besar to strengthen his position in the party.”
In fact, after the press briefing in Alor Setar on the Friday meeting, said Shahbudin, the 14 mutineers should have been able to convince the gathering yesterday that Mukhriz should not only be removed but replaced quickly.
“Najib had no choice but to leave the meeting on Friday, by the backdoor, when it was clear that it began as a failure and was going to end badly and shame him in the process.”
The analyst drew parallels with the Umno Supreme Council meeting, not so long ago, which had been expected to sack Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno Vice-President Shafie Apdal. “After that meeting too, like that on Friday with Umno Kedah, Najib left by the backdoor to avoid the waiting press.”
In the court of public opinion, continued Shahbudin, Najib’s moves to remove Mukhriz has sent the Kedah Menteri Besar’s stock up, his popularity soaring as in Muhyiddin’s case. “Mukhriz has become more popular not only in Kedah but elsewhere in the country as well.”
There’s no clearer indication, said the analyst, that not only the 14 mituneers but Najib as well has been rejected by Umno Kedah and the people in the state as elsewhere. “Najib will face the brunt of the consequences of the failure of yesterday’s meeting at the Umno Headquarters.”
Shahbudin reckons that Najib’s future has suddenly turned even more dangerous and it’s anybody’s guess how it’s going to end for him.
In Mukhriz’s case, said the analyst, the possibility of him continuing to remain Kedah Menteri Besar at least until GE14 in 2018 has become even better. “It cannot be ruled out that he will continue as the Menteri Besar for now.”