UMNO State Leader - Top generals to the fore

BY JOCELINE TAN

The naming of new Umno leaders in several states is a sign of how serious party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is about Barisan Nasional regaining power in these states.

Political careers in Umno ended for some and began for others last evening when Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak unveiled sweeping changes in several states.

It was the Umno president’s move to put his team in place in the states, thus completing the final stage of political changes since taking over as Prime Minister.

His priority was states that are now under the Pakatan Rakyat. He wants to regain power in these states so he has to have clear figures of authority in charge of the party there.

Najib, as some noted, broke with Umno tradition and for the first time, employed the party’s top five as chiefs in the problematic states.

He also wanted a more collective form of responsibility in getting Umno back on its feet in these states.

The president himself took over in Selangor, an indication of how serious he is about regaining this golden state.

Federal Territory, where Barisan Nasional was trounced in 10 out of 13 parliamentary seats during the last general election, is now under no less a figure than deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Vice-presidents Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein have taken charge of Penang, Kedah and Terengganu respectively.

One senior journalist coined it as “political receivership”.

All existing state government heads, even those who lost in the Umno elections, survived including Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam who was barred from contesting the Umno No 2 post after being found guilty of money politics.

Najib kept his word to retain Mohd Ali as Malacca Chief Minister.

The glaring exception was Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said who has been demoted to deputy Umno chairman in Terengganu under Hishammuddin.

A huge question mark now hangs over Ahmad’s position as mentri besar. The rebellion in the ranks against him had put him on shaky ground. Now, he may even be in quicksand.

Zahid’s appointment in Penang was also a classic sleight of hand. Many had wondered how Najib would handle the fact that Abdullah was the incumbent state Umno chief.

Apparently, Abdullah had little interest in holding on to the post. On the other hand, Zahid would have no problem with Abdullah and the people loyal to the former prime minister given that Abdullah had thought well enough of Zahid to ask him to contest the deputy president post in the Umno polls.

In Perlis, Datuk Isa Sabu, who replaced Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim as Mentri Besar, has also taken over the state Umno leadership. With this, Shahidan’s days as a powerful Perlis warlord has come to an end.

Najib who took over the Umno leadership in Perak after it fell to the Barisan, relinquished the post to Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Perak Umno is notorious for its powerful warlords who do not take orders from just anyone. Making Dr Zambry the Umno chief will hopefully lend him political clout over these people.

Najib’s decision on the party’s key offices – secretary-general, treasurer and information chief – also sends out several kinds of signals.

His appointment of Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah as the new Umno treasurer is the clearest sign yet that honest politicians have a place in Umno’s hierarchy. Husni, who is also Finance Minister II and a diligent and modest man, ran one of the cleanest campaigns in the recent Umno elections.

The appointment of Pontian MP Datuk Ahmad Mazlan, 43, as the new information chief was a surprise but Najib obviously wants someone young and energetic who can handle the new media and younger generation of Malays. He is also a staunch Najib loyalist.

Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor was widely expected to keep his secretary-general job. He is seen as a party man who has carried out his duties diligently.

The changes reflect Najib’s political style – meticulous, well thought out and strategic. His political and administrative machinery is complete and it should be all systems go from here on.

- THE STAR