Nizar: A bigger tsunami taking shape in Umno

Humayun Kabir | September 17, 2012

The PAS leader claims that Mahathir, Tengku Razaleigh and Muhyiddin are baying for Najib's blood as they fear his continued leadership will disintegrate Umno and BN.

TAIPING: PAS claims that Umno is facing a greater political tsunami within the party than what it experienced during 2008.

Perak PAS deputy chief Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin told FMT that the 2008 political turmoil within Umno was on a low-key level but now it had become more vicious.

In 2008, politicking within Umno led by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad resulted in the then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi being forced to resign.

There were also allegations that frustrated Umno members who were not selected as candidates in the general election had sabotaged Umno by supporting the opposition.

“It is a no holds barred struggle as speculation is that the three Umno leaders – Mahathir (Mohamad), Tengku Razaleigh (Hamzah) and (Deputy Premier) Muhyiddin (Yassin) are (competing among themselves in) trying to replace Najib as Umno president before the coming general election,” said Nizar.

He said the three Umno leaders feared that the party might disintegrate and BN would lose the coming general election if Najib continued to lead.

To back his argument, Nizar said it was reported that posters calling for Muhyiddin to replace Najib had been widely circulating in Johor.

He said it was also reported that Mahathir was ready to resume his former premier post if requested to do so.

The vocal PAS leader also did not rule out the possibility of Razaleigh’s movement Amanah Rakyat  replacing the present Umno.

Nizar predicted that it would be an “all out dirty political war” within Umno as members fight for personal gains rather than ensuring that BN wins in the coming general election.

Anger in Perak Umno

Speaking at a ceramah in Perak last week, Nizar said Umno was also facing a political dilemma at the state level.

“I was told that Najib has demanded that 90% of the Umno candidates in Perak must be new faces, professionals, having educational backgrounds and not necessarily committee Umno members to be winnable candidates in the coming general election.

“An Umno division deputy chief told me that most members are frustrated. So they are just waiting for the date when Najib will declare the dissolution of Parliament and many from Perak will quit and join Tengku’s Amanah.

“Ku Li had come to Perak in April and he gained some momentum (in recruiting members for Amanah). So within Umno there is another Umno,” he pointed out.

The PAS leader also revealed that there was intense infighting within Perak Umno over several seats.

Nizar, whose left arm was in a sling, told the crowd that on Thursday evening, he was plucking coconuts in his house compound, when a coconut fell and injured his left shoulder.

During his speech, Nizar also showed slides and video recordings on the alleged wrongdoings of Umno members. He also showed the controversial YouTube video clip of Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor dancing on the first day of Hari Raya celebrations at their official residency in Putrajaya.