MUHYIDDIN FINALLY SAYS IT - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TO NAJIB'S EARS - HE HAS BEEN "PUNISHED" ALREADY - ALL EYES ON A MAHATHIR, MUHYIDDIN & NAJIB RECOMBINATION - LAST SEEN IN PAK LAH OUSTER, BUT THIS TIME TO TAKE DOWN ANWAR

Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Bersatu has finally said the words most magical to the ears of disgraced ex-prime minister Najib Razak - he has already been "punished"!

Of course, those words can be retracted at the drop of a hat - given the snake-like nature of almost all politicians in Malaysia and around the world. However for now, the imputed meaning can be gleaned to be fairly clear - that Najib has been punished enough and is deserving to be released from his 12-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of power, even though he has served only slightly more than a year of his term.

According to Bersatu information chief Razali Idris, not only has Najib been punished, but his party boss and ex-premier Muhyiddin Yassin is now open to working with Najib again, as well as with another ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad.

“Muhyiddin is gracious and is open to working with anyone, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had attacked him before,” said Razali, referring to the power struggle and feud that ended with Muhyiddin sacking his erstwhile mentor Mahathir.  

According to Free Malaysia Today, Razali had in a Facebook post three days ago hinted at a collaboration between Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Najib.

His remarks add fire to the already heated speculation of a joint force coming together to oust the ineffective Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister and the removal of the unpopular Zahid Hamidi as Umno president.

ZAHID SEEN AS ANWAR'S BIGGEST PROTECTOR

Zahid is seen as Anwar's biggest protector, keeping him propped up as PM and without whom, Anwar's unity government brokered by the King late last year would fall.

This is mainly because the once-mighty Umno is perceived as being able to convince Sarawak's GPS and Sabah's GRS coalitions to leave together with it, should it decide to withdraw from the Anwar administration. And Zahid's rivals in Umno are more keen to align with the main opposition bloc PN, led by Muhyiddin, to form a new federal government than to stay with Anwar.

So if Zahid is forced to change his pro-Anwar stance or loses power in Umno, then the writing is on the wall for Anwar and his Pakatan Harapan coalition, which holds only 82 seats, insufficient to form a simple majority.

Within Umno, Zahid has more rivals than allies - almost all factions want him to go, blaming him for the party's worsening prestige in the Malay electorate, the country's largest and most powerful. 

But so far, Zahid has survived, if not exactly thrived, relying on the Najib faction to outgun his competitors, who include Najib's cousin Hishammuddin Hussein and former premier Ismail Sabri.

Unfortunately for Zahid, the sounds coming out from the Najib camp of late is for an 'alliance' with Muhyiddin. 

Not only have the activists in Umno pushing for Najib's early release begun openly advocating a realignment with PN, but Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil just days ago warned Anwar his 'Madani' government with Umno would be a "failure" if steps were not taken to secure a royal pardon for Najib.

REMINISCENT OF THE ABDULLAH BADAWI OUSTER

Many in Pakatan Harapan, perhaps including Anwar, have brushed off the noise from the Najib camp - but why would Muhyiddin extend an olive branch to Najib, a man he apparently detests for sacking him as deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president in 2015 after questioning Najib's 1MDB corruption debacle?

And if the "rift is too deep" as another Umno leader Nur Jazlan claims, why would Najib reciprocate? Especially when Muhyiddin is now also able to "meet, talk and cooperate" with another common enemy Mahathir - perhaps an even more bitter foe to Najib than Muhyiddin was!

Is it "political expediency" as many analysts claim - but then again, to what end? 

"As they say, there is no smoke without fire. You see, these three are top guns, they don't simply shoot or make noise unless they are ready to go," a political analyst told Politics Now!

"For Muhyiddin, Najib and Mahathir to come together to oust Anwar is reminiscent of the last time the three worked together to oust Abdullah Badawi as prime minister and Umno president. If I were Anwar, I would watch out even if he is probably too helpless to do much."

Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!

Politics Now!