MP SPEAKS A new political realignment is in the works in the political demography in Malaysia, driven by Najib Abdul Razak's overpowering passion to survive as prime minister of Malaysia and president of Umno despite all odds, including his RM2.6 billion “donation” and RM55 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals.

This is why the advanced courtship between Najib and the PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has graduated from secret conclaves to the public domain, cemented by Hadi's role as the pre-eminent defender of Najib in the prime minister's twin mega scandals in the past few months.

In May, Hadi had publicly said that Najib should not bow down to pressure from the 1MDB scandal and should not resign as prime minister.

In July, Hadi was quick to come to the defence of Najib after the Wall Street Journal expose of RM2.6 billion deposits into Najib's personal banking accounts before the May 2013 general election, demanding witnesses without which the Wall Street Journal allegation should be ignored.

As a result, the relationship between Najib and Hadi became increasingly warm and friendly in the last few months.

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai has said that based on the unanimity principle which had been adopted by BN, MCA would not allow PAS to join the ruling coalition unless it renounces hudud.

Even if it is true that MCA can bar PAS from joining BN because of the unanimity rule of BN, there can be an Umno-PAS co-operation which will be more powerful and far-reaching than Umno's coalition with the other 13 BN parties.

What will MCA and the other 11 component parties do in such circumstances? Will they break from Umno and quit from BN altogether?

Such a route is designed to save Najib but it is problematic that it can save Umno, as it incurs the risk of being rejected not only by the Malay voters (whose support for the Umno/BN government has fallen to the unprecedented low of 31 percent), but even by the three million Umno members and one million PAS members.

LIM KIT SIANG is the MP for Gelang Patah and DAP parliamentary leader.