“Whether Muhyiddin continues to speak up in public on various issues or was eventually silenced once and for all, finally comes down to party President Najib Abdul Razak and the Umno Supreme Council.”
Shahbudin Husin, the analyst, added that if the Council dare not face the party elections due this year and instead postponed it to after the 14th General Election in 2018, they should not complain if Muhyiddin continues to speak up here and there, all over the place.
“The Umno leaders, it seems, are not happy with Muhyiddin’s continued presence in the party. They have returned with a vengeance to get him out as soon as possible. There are those who want him to withdraw from the Umno Deputy Presidency on his own. Otherwise, it seems that they have to decide whether to suspend him as the number two or as a member.”
Among the arguments put forward by Umno leaders, noted the analyst, was that Muhyiddin should withdraw as the number two if he wants to continue to criticize Najib. “His criticisms, they argue, are giving a bad name to the party president and a bad image to the party.”
“As the number two, they say, Muhyiddin should be assisting Najib and not undermining him in the eyes of the public through continued criticisms.”
It’s really hard to figure out, said Shahbudin, how even lawyers like Azalina Othman and Nazri Aziz can trot out various arguments which no rational mind would accept. “These are shallow arguments. We can be forgiven if we conclude that either they do not know anything about law at all or pretend not to know.”
“The idea that Muhyiddin must step down as the party number two, just because he continues to criticize the number one, doesn’t hold water.”
Muhyiddin, added the analyst, wasn’t making up stories about Najib or indulging in falsehoods. “There’s no provision in the Umno Constitution that the number two cannot criticize the number one.”
“There’s no provision that states that the number two must withdraw from his post if he wants to criticize the number one. Assisting the President cannot mean being a sycophant, or singing praises of him all the time in public.”
Upholding the truth, stressed Shahbudin, was also a way of assisting the party President. “In fact, this is more honest and sincere than singing praises or being a sycophant.”
Elsewhere, there’s the argument that Muhyiddin should challenge Najib for the party presidency if he wasn’t happy with the latter, said Shahbudin. He pointed out that this was easier said than done considering that the party polls had been put off from this year to after GE14 in 2018. “Those who want to see Muhyiddin take on Najib, should press the party to stick to its original schedule and hold elections this year.”
Shahbudin, in ruling out the party elections being held this year as originally scheduled, ventured that Muhyiddin in that case cannot be expected to keep quiet until 2018. “There are scandals after scandals taking place in the country.”
“He’s duty-bound to speak up on everything going wrong in the party and the government.”