INTERVIEW | On the night of historic May 9 polls, Umno became not just the federal opposition, but also in the states it previously held – Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Terengganu, and eventually Sabah.

While most Umno leaders were in disarray, Johor Umno chief Mohamed Khaled Nordin quickly recognised the new reality...