A house divided: Factions within Umno

POWER BROKERS NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT

Umno president and predecessor • Despite being charged with graft, both Najib and Zahid remain widely in uential in the party. • They command more than half of the party’s 39 MPs, making them major power brokers in ’s current political imbroglio. • Zahid, 67, has agitated for a shake-up of the government of Prime Minister , taking advantage of unhappiness Mohamad Hasan within certain sections of the party who have chafed at playing Mohamad Hasan and Khairy Jamaluddin second ddle to Tan Sri • This faction is believed to have no love for the current party Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu leadership, nor the Muhyiddin premiership. Malaysia. • Deputy president Mohamad, 64, has been at the forefront of those • Senior leaders like Datuk Seri insisting that Umno should not bow to Mr Muhyiddin’s Bersatu but Nazri Aziz and Datuk Seri Tajuddin strive to reform itself and reclaim its former glory. Abdul Rahman have urged Umno to terminate its ties with Bersatu, • Former youth chief Khairy, 44, has told politicians who are claiming that the Umno grassroots “scheming” to “stop the nonsense... if you don’t have the numbers, want this. bugger off”. • Most of these leaders would not want Datuk Seri Anwar to be prime President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Predecessor Najib Razak minister. Instead, they prioritise a changing of the guard in Umno. BIG WINNERS IN MUHYIDDIN’S CABINET DARK HORSE

Ismail Sabri Yaakob and • As Senior Minister for Security, vice-president • Malaysia’s longest-serving Ismail Sabri, 60, is the party’s top government lawmaker, Tengku Razaleigh ofcial. Hamzah, has offered himself as an interim prime minister until the next • Former vice-president Hishammuddin, 59, holds no general election, due in 2023, national post in Umno. His position as a top leader following the ongoing political was cemented after being appointed foreign situation. minister. • It is not known who is backing • It is believed that some current Umno ministers him, as, to date, none in Umno has outside the Supreme Council such as Datuk Halimah openly declared their support for Sadique and Datuk Seri will not want to the 83-year-old Kelantanese prince. rock the boat. • Indeed, the current bid by Tengku • These leaders are unlikely to support a shake-up Razaleigh to become PM is merely of the current government or a new prime minister the latest of several attempts since in the form of Leader . 1987, none of which was successful. Hishammuddin Hussein Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah PHOTOS: STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS