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'Forget 11MP, all eyes on the now public Umno war'
Published:  May 22, 2015 1:29 PM
Updated: 11:19 AM

The war between the factions of Umno president Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin has now exploded into the public sphere.

This was can no longer be kept an internal secret, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today.

With the grassroots leaders aligned to either faction firing openly against the two leaders, the political power war in the country's biggest party has now escalated sharply.

The latest salvos fired were by Umno Cheras division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee who backed Muhyiddin's call to sack the 1MDB board members, and Special Affairs Department (Jasa) director-general Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who slammed Muhyiddin for alleged laziness in implementing his education portfolio  duties, Lim noted.

"As Umno's propagandist, nobody would believe that Puad would just openly fire at Muhyiddin without the 'green light' from Najib," the MP for Gelang Patah ( photo ) said in a statement.

"In the deepening 'smoke and mirrors' political power play in Umno, who is really thinking about the 11th Malaysia Plan?" he asked.

With grassroots leaders aligned to either faction firing openly against the two leaders, the war for political power has now escalated sharply in the nation's biggest party.

'Not even a one-hour wonder for 11MP'

The RM260 billion 11MP has made dubious history as the first five-year plan that did not enjoy even a one-hour wonder, for it was immediately overwhelmed and overshadowed by Muhyiddin’s call for heads to roll in the 1MDB scandal, he said.

Instead, the parliamentary and national attention turned to Najib's reaction to Muhyiddin’s call for heads to roll in the 1MDB scandal.

They also watching closely if Najib's head will roll in the process, Lim added.

Muhyiddin had warned that the 1MDB scandal would cause the downfall of the Umno-BN government, which was greeted loud applause and calls to "sack the president", he said.

In just 10 days, all the false camaraderie after the Umno supreme council meeting of May 11 have been torn asunder by the Muhyiddin video , he said.

It was therefore ironic, Lim said, that just 10 days ago, Najib said his relationship with Muhyiddin was stronger than ever and that no one could divide them.

'Even supreme council decision jettisoned'

"Najib even said those who had been spreading talk about a fallout would be disappointed by the outcome of the Umno supreme council meeting.

"Even the decision of the supreme council has been jettisoned.

"Muhyiddin's 'the last straw to break the camel's back' speech has now become the hottest property on YouTube ," he said.

The Umno supreme council had called on the auditor-general to hasten the probe into the 1MDB and advised the people to wait for the audit report, Lim noted.

The "panic reaction" of Second Finance Minister Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah ( photo ), who will table the 1MDB restructuring report to cabinet next week, appears to be an immediate reaction to Muhyiddin's speech, he said.

Husni had said he would table the report to keep 1MDB from defaulting in its payments, which might ultimately lead to an unwanted, systemic effect.

"I will not be surprised if the so-called restructuring of 1MDB will involve the setting up of a new 1MDB board," Lim, who is also Gelang Patah MP, said.

But then, this would be completely unsatisfactory.

"The cabinet must insist that all those responsible for the RM42 billion 1MDB debt must face the consequences, not just the 1MDB Board, but also Najib," Lim said.

If they failed to do so, he added, the entire cabinet should collectively resign on the important principle of good governance and accountability.

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