COMMENT The festivities surrounding Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s speech in Sabah last weekend are reminiscent of the 13th general election campaign.

Those following the telecast of the event in Tawau would have seen an eyeful of ‘I Love PM’ banners held up by participants filling up every inch of the television screen.

It was reported that 40,000 were there in solidarity with Najib. Fittingly, Najib said he will not step down just because of pressure from one man – former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He saw the pressure from Mahathir as merely a test. In fact, he said, Mahathir faced an even bigger test in his time.

Najib recalled that Mahathir hung on to the post of Umno president by the skin of his teeth in the 1987 party leadership election.

Najib also recalled that he was one of those who helped Mahathir finish the race with a tissue-thin majority of 43 votes.

When Umno was broken in half

Indirectly, Najib was saying that unlike Mahathir, who struggled to keep the Umno top post in the late 1980s, he is in a comfortable position in Umno.

Umno was split in the middle at that time – Team A and Team B – and this almost toppled Mahathir, Najib said.

“Almost 50 percent of Umno members wanted Mahathir to resign. But what was his reply? ‘Even if I win with one vote, I will still be prime minister.’ What a great reply. 

“In 1987, I was among those who backed him. How did he retain the premiership? Through the support of those who stayed with him, through thick and thin,” Najib said.

Otherwise, Mahathir would not have succeeded in becoming prime minister for 22 years, added Najib, who reportedly received thunderous applause.

At that time, Mahathir was under severe attack by Kelantan prince Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who mounted a challenge for the Umno presidency - which also meant the prime minister’s post.

However, the battles within Umno in 1987 had little effect on BN’s performance. Its candidate won in the Bukit Tuku by-election in Kelantan and the Tanjung Puteri by-election in Johor.

In the 1990 general election, BN continued its winning streak, despite the fact that Umno was broken in half.

Umno unity didn’t help in Rompin, Permatang Pauh

In comparison, the Permatang Pauh and Rompin by-elections earlier this month showed a reversal in trend.

In Rompin, Umno’s majority shrunk. Observers said it had to do with the plummeting price of Felda Global Venture Holdings shares and rising cost of living.

Likewise in Permatang Pauh. The hudud issue, which is a thorn in Pakatan Rakyat’s side, did not tarnish support for its candidate Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Analysts saw rising cost of living, coupled with the newly-introduced goods and services tax (GST), as a factor for Pakatan’s victory.

PKR’s vote share dropped by 1.47 percent due to a lower voter turnout.

Voter turnout was also lower in Rompin two days earlier, but BN’s vote share was slashed by five percent.

Right before the by-elections, Mahathir said he remembers how people were waving ‘I Love PM’ flags.

And yet, he said in his trademark cynicism, BN still did poorly in the 13th general election, compared with the GE12 performance.

What’s the point of Najib being strong in Umno if BN does poorly in elections?

This is why Mahathir is in a dilemma. If Najib continues leading BN, the coalition will lose the 14th general election, he said. But if he himself doesn’t support Najib, the opposition will take advantage of this.

Najib, on the other hand, probably thinks that this is the best time to cash out the dividends from his investment in Mahathir in 1987.

Should Mahathir return the favour?

SALHAN K AHMAD is a member of Team Malaysiakini.