Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said Bung essentially reflected Zahid’s leadership in Umno, hence the failed coup could affect Zahid’s chances if he seeks to defend the Umno presidency.
“Zahid should take strict disciplinary action against those involved in the effort (to unseat Hajiji) to show he is still the person in command in Umno,” Lee told FMT.
If the coup had succeeded, he said, it would have threatened Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s position, as what happened in Sabah could have sparked the unity government’s collapse.
Hajiji heads Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, which is part of the unity government. GRS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak had agreed to support Anwar and jointly move as a “Borneo bloc”.
Lee said neither Zahid nor Anwar could afford to give the impression that they supported Bung’s and Sabah Umno’s attempt to usurp power from the existing administration.
Conversely, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said Zahid will now have to appease Bung in order to retain the Sabah delegates’ support should the Umno presidency be contested.
Umno’s Supreme Council has yet to decide whether the top two posts should be contested in the party elections. The party must hold its elections within six months of the November general election.
Zahid faced calls to step down after Barisan Nasional’s and Umno’s dismal performance in the elections, but he said he was confident of retaining the top party post if challenged.
Yesterday, Hajiji announced his new state Cabinet line-up, dropping Umno leaders who opposed him, including Bung, who was a deputy chief minister and the works minister, Jafry Ariffin and Yakub Khan.
Hajiji promoted Umno’s Shahelmy Yahya to take over Bung’s portfolios, and also named PKR’s Christina Liew and DAP’s Phoong Jin Zhe as ministers.
Bung claimed the Cabinet reshuffle was not what Anwar had wanted the unity state government to look like, but conceded the outcome of the political turmoil.
On Tuesday, Zahid said the Sabah unity government must involve all parties in the federal government.