Mahathir continues to haunt Najib
Looks like the Mahathir factor continue to oppose Najib’s choice of leadership in the Kedah Umno’s current factional tussle.
The current chairman of the Kedah Umno state liaison committee is a Sabahan named Datuk Shafie Apdal who replaced Kedah former menteri besar Datuk Mahazhir Khalid who was dropped from the line-up after Umno’s defeat in Kedah at the last general elections.
Being the head of the state liaison committee of Kedah Umno which is totally unknown to him, it is tough for Datuk Shafie to consolidate his power over the state giving the fact that he is an outsider and furthermore a Borneo Malay (from Sabah), not a peninsular Malay.
Besides, Datuk Shafie is also perceived as a weak leader because of his ignorance in the way Kedah Umno politics are being run. In fact, the majority of the Kedah Umno division chairmen and some powerful party warlords in the state doesn’t not seem in wanting to give due respect to Datuk Shafie as the state liaison chief. That means, he is not in control at all. Who else?
Source from an Umno insider also indicated that former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad still commands wide influence in the Kedah Umno and is currently gearing up to move his son Datuk Mukhriz up to helm Kedah Umno. Some division chairmen are also in favour of either Dr Mahathir or his son to take up the liaison chief post in Kedah in order to unite the already split factions in the party.
Datuk Shafie was handpicked by Najib to lead Kedah Umno last April but the Sabahan leader has yet to demonstrate his ability to unite and control the state party leaders effectively.
Even the choice of a possible new candidate for the Kota Siputeh state seat is still in question following the tussle amongst factions in the state in lobbying for their choice of candidates continued to embroil into an uncontrolled debating situation.
The seat was declared vacant after its state assemblyman from Umno, Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif failed to attend two consecutive sittings of the state legislative assembly without applying for leave from the state legislative assembly speaker.
Some said they wanted Dr Mahathir to step in to resolve their current situation, while the others preferred Datuk Mukhriz because of his youth and he is seen as a new generation leader in the party who is most suitable to lead Umno to regain Kedah in the next general elections.
To correct the situation in Kedah Umno, Najib is now in dilemma on how to resolve the internal party squabbles. If he appoints Mahathir or Mukhriz then he will be seen as still in Mahathir’s shadow but if he continues to uphold his appointees, he will displease the local party warlords, where he will have to take some longer time to convince them to accept his choice and the success rate would not be guaranteed anyway.
The current chairman of the Kedah Umno state liaison committee is a Sabahan named Datuk Shafie Apdal who replaced Kedah former menteri besar Datuk Mahazhir Khalid who was dropped from the line-up after Umno’s defeat in Kedah at the last general elections.
Being the head of the state liaison committee of Kedah Umno which is totally unknown to him, it is tough for Datuk Shafie to consolidate his power over the state giving the fact that he is an outsider and furthermore a Borneo Malay (from Sabah), not a peninsular Malay.
Besides, Datuk Shafie is also perceived as a weak leader because of his ignorance in the way Kedah Umno politics are being run. In fact, the majority of the Kedah Umno division chairmen and some powerful party warlords in the state doesn’t not seem in wanting to give due respect to Datuk Shafie as the state liaison chief. That means, he is not in control at all. Who else?
Source from an Umno insider also indicated that former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad still commands wide influence in the Kedah Umno and is currently gearing up to move his son Datuk Mukhriz up to helm Kedah Umno. Some division chairmen are also in favour of either Dr Mahathir or his son to take up the liaison chief post in Kedah in order to unite the already split factions in the party.
Datuk Shafie was handpicked by Najib to lead Kedah Umno last April but the Sabahan leader has yet to demonstrate his ability to unite and control the state party leaders effectively.
Even the choice of a possible new candidate for the Kota Siputeh state seat is still in question following the tussle amongst factions in the state in lobbying for their choice of candidates continued to embroil into an uncontrolled debating situation.
The seat was declared vacant after its state assemblyman from Umno, Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif failed to attend two consecutive sittings of the state legislative assembly without applying for leave from the state legislative assembly speaker.
Some said they wanted Dr Mahathir to step in to resolve their current situation, while the others preferred Datuk Mukhriz because of his youth and he is seen as a new generation leader in the party who is most suitable to lead Umno to regain Kedah in the next general elections.
To correct the situation in Kedah Umno, Najib is now in dilemma on how to resolve the internal party squabbles. If he appoints Mahathir or Mukhriz then he will be seen as still in Mahathir’s shadow but if he continues to uphold his appointees, he will displease the local party warlords, where he will have to take some longer time to convince them to accept his choice and the success rate would not be guaranteed anyway.
