Two former Umno vice-presidents who won the 2004 party elections stood alongside each other on stage on Tuesday as thousands in Port Dickson waited anxiously for the announcement of the BN candidate for the Bagan Pinang by-election.

The two were Isa Samad, who garnered the highest number of votes, and Muhyiddin Yassin, who was then the number three vice-president.

Muhyiddin announced Isa's candidature for the by-election to an ecstatic crowd. The nomination day is this Saturday.

Isa is seeking to rebuild his disgraced career after he was suspended for three years for money politics during the fateful 2004 party elections.

Muhyiddin, as we all know rose to become Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy President in Umno and Barisan Nasional.

This is despite Muhyiddin being one of the most vocal critics of former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's team.

isa samad bagan pinang 02 One is reminded of Isa's winning speech at the Umno assembly when he won the 2004 vice-presidency.

He said: "Those who took my money and voted for me it is good. Those who took it and did not vote, we will see each other later on the ‘akhirat' day (day of reckoning)".

At a recent ‘ceramah' PKR election director Saifuddin Nasution, who was once from Umno, said he had heard Isa, after winning the vice-presidency, telling his alma mater school (Sekolah Alam Shah), who wanted some donations, that he had finished most of his campaign funds in the party election.

Isa, 59, wearing an all blue baju Melayu at the announcement of his candidacy, will be contesting against Negeri Sembilan Pas commissioner Zulkefly Mohd Omar, and possibly an independent candidate with PKR, Teluk Kemang committee member Shahruddin Abd Hamid.

Mounting pressure

This will be the ninth by-election since the March 8, 2008 general election, which saw BN winning only one seat in Batang Ai. BN lost 4 seats, which are the Kuala Terengganu, Bukit Gantang parliamentary, Manek Urai and Permatang Pasir seats respectively, to PAS.

Certainly, another defeat to PAS would mean that Umno is losing its Malay hegemony as it would send signals that the Islamist party is taking over its role in representing the Malays.

NONE Hence, with mounting pressure to win and coupled with strong demands from Umno Teluk Kemang, the Umno leadership had chosen a sure bet in Isa despite his tainted past and strong disapproval from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad ( right ), who had once considered Isa his blue-eyed boy.

Isa's candidacy in the Bagan Pinang by-election is seen by many as an attempt to bring him back into Umno politics. Other than leading the Teluk Kemang Umno division, which he had helmed since 1982, Isa has not been making any inroads following his six-year suspension which was subsequently reduced to three years.

He failed to regain the vice-presidency at this year's Umno contest and last year, Isa was not even selected to contest in any state or parliamentary seats. In other words, he was in political oblivion and no longer in mainstream Umno politics.

Reversal of fortune

However, come Saturday, it may see a reversal in Isa's position as Umno will be depending on this former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, who had led the state for more than two decades, to revive Umno and BN's dwindling fortunes.

It remains to be seen, what will happen if Isa wins and the implications of it on present Menteri Besar Mohammad Hassan ( below ).

mohammad hassan negeri sembilan mb Muhyiddin, being the deputy president will now be leading BN's charge to ensure a victory for the coalition. In other words, Muhyiddin will be the campaigning manager to ensure his former rival, Isa, wins.

This is the second Umno/BN seat which it is trying to defend in by-elections as earlier in the year it lost the Kuala Terengganu seat which it won at last year's general election.

Certainly, having a full backing of the whole party machinery is an added bonus. There were earlier fears of a possible boycott when banners were put-up on Tuesday suggesting such a move if Isa was not selected.

However, the boycott would certainly not materialise with Isa's selection. He will receive the backing of the 4,000 plus postal votes, along with the votes of his relatives, who are also said to be residents there.