In a sign that there has been no let-up in backroom efforts to push out Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi earlier than March, his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has said Umno chiefs will meet next Thursday to discuss bringing back the party's internal elections to December.
"We will answer all these questions on the 30th. For now, there is no change to the date (of the Umno elections)," he said on Tuesday.
He was asked by reporters whether the internal polls, which two weeks ago were delayed from December to March, would be brought back to the earlier date.
The decision-making Umno Supreme Council will meet next Thursday for its regular monthly meeting, and Najib was the first to say the issue of the December polls would be discussed.
His comments clashed with Abdullah's wish to be in power until March.
When told last Saturday that Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wanted the polls to be held in December, a visibly upset Abdullah said: "What is the meaning of all this? I am not happy with this. Is he trying to stop me from making reforms?"
Party chiefs, including Najib, had concurred with the Premier that he should be allowed to retire at the end of March.
But the deal caused unhappiness among the grassroots because it meant the period to campaign for top posts would drag on for three more months, instead of ending by Dec18, the original date of the triennial polls.
Added to this is anxiety in the Najib camp following a string of accusations against the PM-in-waiting.
Political analyst Yahaya Ismail said: "Abdullah was given 'injury time' to March to quit, but there are worries whether Umno will be stable with these accusations against Najib."
Two weeks ago, a website accused Najib of sending many text messages to the lawyer of Razak Baginda, his former adviser who is accused of abetting the murder of a Mongolian interpreter.
Najib was then accused of pushing a RM2.3 billion deal to buy new helicopters for the Defence Ministry just before he passed the position to Abdullah.
This was followed by a website's accusations of alleged past scandals. Also being circulated online were doctored pictures of him practising Hindu rites.
This week, a fake manifesto tried to portray him as an intolerant leader who would defend Malay rights to the "last drop" of his blood.
Najib, who has strenously denied the allegations against him in the manifesto, which was published by Malaysiakini, said yesterday he had accepted the apology given by the news website.
The group of leaders agitating to push Abdullah out earlier know they must carry the Umno ground along. So they are couching the power grab by saying that delaying the polls would drain money and energy.
A proposal has been put forward that Abdullah may remain as Premier until March, even though party polls are held in December.
"They say he could hang on. But once you have a new Umno president in December, Abdullah will not have the moral authority to stay around," said a Supreme Council member.
Muhyiddin is among those publicly in favour of a December poll date, leading Abdullah to accuse him of being "impatient to become the deputy prime minister".
Muhyiddin is the front runner to be Umno's new deputy president, and thus deputy PM. Supporting the Trade and Industry Minister is de facto Islamic Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, a front runner in the
vice-president contest.
Backing them is former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, a bitter critic of Abdullah.
Dr Mahathir said soon after the March deal was announced that it was better for Abdullah to step down immediately as he must give Najib full authority to rehabilitate Umno.
But there is no guarantee that come next Thursday, the 40 Supreme Council chiefs will agree to bring the date for party polls forward because supporters say Abdullah will not budge.
Still, the flip-flops are a strain for some observers.
"I hope they can put aside politics and put people first. Many people are struggling with high costs, and now there is the global economic crisis," said political science lecturer Mohammad Agus Yusoff of the National
University of Malaysia. - The Straits Times
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