Analysts, Umno insider say Zahid’s position in party now shaky with Ismail Sabri’s, Hishammuddin’s govt promotion

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s position as president of Umno appears to have become even more tenuous in the past few hours.

Just hours before the party’s supreme council meet tonight, the Prime Minister’s Office announced the appointment of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as deputy prime minister in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as senior minister in charge of the Security Cluster.

Socio-political analyst Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the appointment of the two Umno men at such a time was to catapult both leaders to the highest hierarchy in the party to check Zahid’s influence and the possibility of the country’s largest Malay party officially withdrawing support for the PN government.

“This appointment is obviously to weaken Zahid’s influence in the party and this move also is likely to place Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in the highest hierarchy in the long term,” he told Malay Mail.

Awang Azman also said that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s position as the prime minister will be strengthened by appointing Umno members who might support his PN government.

“If Zahid does not react to the appointment, he will be seen as weak and will be pressured to withdraw from the president post,” he said.

Anticipation has been growing in the last few days that the Umno supreme council will finally make good its ultimatum to withdraw all support for the PN coalition, which has been challenged by rising Covid-19 cases, causing growing public restlessness with prolonged socio-economic curbs.

However, Awang Azman said such a move will not calm things down for Malaysia as the real issue is the lack of efficiency in managing the Covid-19 crisis.

“The country’s economy is worsening and adding more positions in the Cabinet only means one thing, which is more allocation for salaries and allowances,” he said.

Sources close to Zahid’s camp agreed with this assessment, noting the timing of Ismail’s and Hishammuddin’s promotions.

“It was done before the meeting tonight. They know the supreme council is going to make a decision. This will undermine Zahid and the supreme council’s authority,” one Umno insider said on condition of anonymity.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia geostrategist Prof Azmi Hassan noted that Muhyiddin’s move to promote Ismail and Hishammuddin was likely done to quell his critics.

“Ismail Sabri and Hishammuddin have been very adamant in pulling out from PN at this particular time. So with this appointment, Muhyiddin might strengthen the PN coalition,” he said.

But Azmi also said this could backfire if the two Umno men decided to leave and join the PM’s party, Bersatu.

“However, I don’t think it could be a good move for any Umno members to join Bersatu at the moment as it might affect their chances of retaining the respective MP seats,” he said.

Zahid, who has been keeping a low profile in public suddenly posted a cryptic message on his Facebook earlier today, advising people against following their emotions and acting in haste.

“In life, we must be calm. If we are not calm, we will be stressed and stress will affect health.

“Even Makcik Kiah and Pak Saleh can be calm when they haven’t cooked in their kitchen for a long time,” he wrote, referring to the everyday figures that had been named by Muhyiddin previously to represent regular working-class Malaysians.

Zahid said that Umno is concerned over the livelihood of regular Malaysians and has been particularly vocal on certain issues.

“Though we can’t turn back time, let us not be the group that is always losing... It is Umno’s responsibility as a party to uphold the people’s welfare,” he said in the post.