UMNO LEADERSHIP DILEMMA – PART 2
March 19, 2008The new cabinet announced on the 18th of March gave different impact to different groups. BY calibre , it is difficult to critisize the cabinet at the moment because it is a known well fact that the team now are hard working. Even alternative leaders chose to wait for this team to be in action before opening their mouth. The appointments of Zaid Ibrahim and Shahrir Samad showed how serious Pak Lah is in having the “brave” ones working with him in federal matters. It is a serious image enhancement exercise and having them on board is spot on for damage control.
Pak Lah is certainly trying to clean up the mess ; a bit late but better than never. Those seen as controversial were kicked out ; and few did not know it was coming. Rafidah and Radzi were shocked and expressed their dissappointments openly . Tengku Adnan was a surprise inclusion for the polls but his exit from the cabinet showed how close he was to be kicked out indefinitely. Rafidah decided not to resign as the Wanita chief and that is a sign that she will retaliate. She never gives up things easily and is this a signal for more trouble to come ?
Pak Lah stern stance after the dissapointing polls revealed his weakness more and more. The refusal of the Terengganu and Perlis royals to accept his choice for Menteri Besar was a big blow for his ego. The episode was a direct insult to Pak Lah really. PEMUDA UMNO did not suspend Mukhriz as how it was expected to ; Pak Lah holds the autonomy power to sack Mukhriz indefinitely and by not doing it his grip over UMNO is faltering. The refusal of Anifah and Tengku Azlan to accept the deputy minister’s post challenged Pak Lah’s leadership. Radzi , The Secretary General calls it the day and said he can’t work with Pak Lah anymore. Rafidah , the Wanita chief was very sarcarstic in her PC today. Everybody is showing their protest to Pak Lah but still the denial syndrome remains.
All the signals and body language is for Pak Lah to go. Of course , statements are out by all factions to pledge their loyalty to the Prime Minister. However , do remember history during Tun Hussein Onn’s “official” dismissal , Ghafar Baba’s tenure as DPM and just moments before Anwar’s dismissal in 1998. Politics will remain be as how it has been shaped to be. The only argument why he should stay as PM and UMNO president for now maybe because there is nobody else who can take over at the moment. Transfer of power to the obvious ones in line is somehow not an alternative. The vacuum is evident and UMNO as an entity needs to rethink and reorganize .
its easy to be a good leader when everyone has a good outing. the fun starts when things starts to go wrongand you are to blame, and yet you still need to exercise your role as a leader.he is still the same man of the 2004 elections. the people around him have changed but he is still the same person.
will him leaving change anything?
i think the easiest thing for him to be would to say to hell with everything and quit like so many people want him to. in your own words, there will bea power vacuum and further turmoil. to me, quitting now would be irresponsible.
the man is trying to reorganize the nation, cabinet and party during difficult and trying times.
its obvious that he getting minimum help and cooperation from all around.
all said and done, he is not a dictator.
he will go when his time comes, for now he needs our help.