FROM PAL, ALLY TO SCAPEGOAT - ZAHID THE POLITICAL HOUDINI MEETS HIS FINAL CHALLENGE - PRESSURE MOUNTS FOR HIM TO QUIT NOT ONLY FROM UMNO RIVALS, THE OPPOSITION BUT ALSO FROM ANWAR CAMP & PAKATAN

Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - The writing is not only on the wall for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Harapan coalition - but even more so for his long-time pal DPM Zahid Hamidi. How plain can the latest message be from Pas, now the most influential party in the country.

Some pundits believe the pressure on Zahid to quit is not only coming from within Umno or the PN-Pas main opposition bloc - but also starting to escalate from within Pakatan quarters, perhaps even the Anwar camp who might be looking for a scapegoat and Zahid's unpopularity and corruption scandals make him the ideal low-hanging fruit to seize on.

Speculation is swirling - and Zahid's recent prostate surgery plus the growing rejection of Umno by Malay voters until he is replaced by a credible new leader are now the talk in coffee-shops around the country.

Three names spring to mind as his potential replacement - Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, former premier Ismail Sabri and senior politician Hishammuddin Hussein.

"Mat Hasan will of course stake the first claim. He is popular and has a good reputation but Umno is a party of intrigue, so don't be surprised if Ismail and Hisham beat him to it," an analyst told Politics Now!

"All three are very powerful warlords with their own grassroots and following. If Mat Hasan stays, chances are better for Anwar and Pakatan because Mat Hasan is likely to keep Umno on a moderate path and within the Madani government. He will then assume the DPM post."

"But if it's Ismail or Hisham, then chances are that we will have a new government with PN and Pas back in power."

MIND CONTROL OF THE MALAYS  

In an infrequent interview with a Malay daily, Pas spiritual leader Hashim Jasin had hammered it out loud and clear - the majority in Umno, the key ally propping up Anwar's 'Madani' government, wants to realign with the opposition.

"The majority of Umno grassroots and supporters are not in agreement with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi." Hashim told Utusan Malaysia.

"Many of the party leaders also do not dare voice their opinions or go against Zahid in matters concerning the party."

His remarks come hot on the heels of a landslide by-election victory scored by Samsuri Mokhtar, the all but officially announced PM-in-waiting candidate to be offered by Pas - and the confirmation by deputy party president Tuan Ibrahim that they were open to working with Umno so long as it joined the PN coalition which also includes another Malay-centric party, Bersatu.

"If Umno continues to behave (like) this year, it is not impossible for the party to be 'buried' in GE16. We in Pas have never declared Umno as an enemy, and they are welcome to work with us anytime, in the name of ummah," added Hashim.  

DOOM OR ENLIGHTENMENT

Of course, the spiritual leader could be riding on the euphoria of Samsuri's magnificent win and using it to further burnish Pas' credentials as the Malays' No. 1 party - but that Anwar has lost steam and direction to take the nation forward is also visible for both Malays and non-Malays to see.

"You can argue Pas and Bersatu will fare even worse and I think the Malays are not unconscious of that but for them, a change is still better because they place their hope and pride in someone like Samsuri, who doesn't have scandals like Anwar or corruption baggage like Zahid," another pundit told Politics Now!

"They hope that Samsuri will be the clean leader who can lead Malaysia out from its current political stalemate and deliver economic prosperity even though he comes from an extremely conservative Muslim party like Pas. In fact, many Malays would vote for him just to give him the chance of being that special Muslim leader from Pas who saved Malaysia, while smart-talking but empty vessels especially from 'Chinese' DAP and PKR failed."

"As for the non-Malays, I think they know they have already 'lost'. Until a new and effective leader emerges, they will stay on the sidelines. Of course, many will still vote for Pakatan but many won't bother as Anwar's U-turns have disappointed them while DAP is now even more mouse-like and quieter than MCA was during the Umno-BN regimes. So more brain drain, more capital flight can be expected because the next few years will be crucial. Malaysia is now just next door to doom or on the cusp of enlightenment, depending on which side of the coin you view the politics from."

Written by Wong Choon Mei, Politics Now!

Politics Now!