Muhyiddin finally falls after all the mistakes

 

Writer: San Xuan

China Press, Feb 29, 2016

After the Umno general assembly, Tun Mahathir’s son Mukhriz was pulled down and Mahathir was questioned by the Police. Muhyiddin, the party’s No 2 but powerless, was of course taken into “consideration” by those in power. Muhyiddin was thus toppled as he had already missed a timely opportunity to deal Najib a swift blow but instead, he chose to whisper over the 1MDB issue instead of talking about it openly.

Najib kept his cool and when he had found his solid footing, of course, he would demolish all the “Muhyiddins” step by step. Najib took the most favourable timing in first removing Muhyiddin from his Deputy Prime Minister’s post and removed him thoroughly from the Cabinet, making him an ordinary man without any authority or power.

Based on political reality, a man without authority or power cannot do much as he lacks support and following. Looking at the history of UMNO’s power struggle, Muhyiddin did not have Musa Hitam’s hidden tactic of waiting for the right opportunity to give Mahathir a fatal blow.

He was also different from Anwar whose inflaming Reformasi campaign was nationwide. Muhyiddin was dull and quiet and he could only wait for his turn to be “dismembered” and demolished by Najib who is embroiled in a crisis. He may end up like the Mongolian girl Altantuya whose remains had been blown to pieces.

As a matter of fact, if Muhyiddin wanted to revolt, using 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion donation as the excuse, he should have some strategy and do it in a big way. He should focus all his efforts to change the fast changing political situation. Even if he failed, he would still end up fighting for a righteous cause.

With his rich political experience, Muhyiddin should understand that any challenge to the No 1 had to be swift. He cannot drag his feet while speaking quietly. His ending is both quiet and meaningless.

Whether it is with the ruling party or opposition camp, when an ambitious leader want to challenge the authority or status of the top leader, he must check the best opportunity in relation to the timing, geographic advantage and human relationship before making the final blow; it is a battle to the death and whoever succeeds will be crowned while he who fails, condemned.

Looking at Muhyiddin over the 1MDB issue, we only heard his quiet remarks but no bold actions, not to mention of a revolt, or any such heroic acts.

Muhyiddin wanted to be a hero, taking one step forward but three steps backward. He dragged his feet and of course, his fate is simply to wait for his political rivals to do their major surgery of cutting and chopping.

Before Muhyiddin was sacked as the Deputy Prime Minister, he failed to take any drastic action and after his removal from the Cabinet, he again failed to take any action. With a series of mistakes, why then did he still want to be the party‘s No 2 with no power and authority?

Now with his post as the party’s deputy president frozen, does he still have the strength to do the last battle? Can he escape his political demise?