Universiti Malaya socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi said Hishammuddin’s criticism of the government was a “rare” event.

Hishammuddin had criticised the government bureaucracy yesterday, saying it was a “key barrier” to the implementation of the country’s vaccination efforts. He also spoke on the need for consistency in SOPs and the pursuit of mass testing, something health experts and political leaders have been calling for.

Awang Azman told FMT it appeared as if Hishammuddin was trying to distance himself from the PN-led government.

He believed Hishammuddin’s criticisms were linked to his being touted as a prime minister candidate if there was a change of government or as a potential leader of a national operations council (Majlis Gerakan Negara or Mageran) as proposed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“It could also be linked to Umno elections and the next general election. He may be wanting to ensure support among the grassroots by being seen as critical towards PN,” he said.

Hishammuddin, a former vice-president, is an Umno ‘blue blood’. His grandfather is Onn Jaafar, the party founder, and his father, Hussein Onn, was the party’s fourth president.

He is among the Umno leaders touted as a potential candidate for the Umno presidency. The other two are deputy president Mohamad Hasan and senior minister for security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Awang Azman noted that the criticisms of PN came after Hishammuddin was seen as projecting strength in his firm response to the intrusion of Chinese air force jets into Malaysian airspace.

Syed Arabi Idid of the International Islamic University Malaysia said he believed Hishammuddin was trying to position himself as a leader to be heard by Umno members.

“Rarely does a minister criticise his own government. Being a seasoned politician, perhaps he is doing it to signal that he wants a more prominent role in the Cabinet,” he said.