Mukhriz Mahathir is expected to attend the Umno Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur today, banking his hope of keeping his Kedah mentri besar chair.
Facing a revolt back home, the Council could either be an avenue to seek solace or a court which will decide on his fate.
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And the opposition is watching closely.
Facing a revolt back home, the Council could either be an avenue to seek solace or a court which will decide on his fate.
PAS Youth leader Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz expressed confidence that the Islamist party will wrest back Kedah from Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election, regardless what happens in the on-going mentri besar crisis.
Yeah, there are always possibilities!
He pointed out that his party had not lost by much in Election 2013 and said Umno’s current troubles would only help them secure a greater win.
“We didn’t lose by much, and we are confident of the present political climate, where PAS has proven its maturity and the rakyat have seen how we deal with political issues. They have also seen the weaknesses of the BN government on every level down to the state,” he told reporters at a hi-tea event with the media.
“We are confident, even without this crisis, we would win. This crisis adds to our confidence.”
Kedah fell to PAS’s hands in Election 2008 when the Islamist party won 16 of 36 state seats while its allies in PKR clinched six seats, giving the two parties a combined-majority of 22 seats over BN’s 14 seats.
In Election 2013, however, BN recaptured the state, winning 21 of 36 seats, with Umno securing 19 and MCA two.
Last week, crisis erupted in the Kedah Umno leadership when the party chapter’s deputy chairman Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah led a delegation of 14 division chiefs, state and federal lawmakers to express their loss of confidence in Mentri Besar.
Among the reasons given for their discontent was Mukhriz’s purported failure to govern the state, to unite the party and his lack of strategy to face the next general elections due in 2018.
Both Mukhriz and Ahmad Bashah have met with Datuk Seri Najib Razak separately since the leadership tussle exploded but the Umno president and prime minister has yet to announce any decision on the matter.
Najib was also reported to have had an audience with the sultan of Kedah and reigning Agong yesterday though the outcome of their meeting remains unknown.
On the crisis, Nik Abduh said PAS maintains its position in not getting involved with ousting leaders in the middle of their term, and suggested that if Umno had no solution to the problem, they should leave the matter to voters to decide.
“It is an internal issue for Umno. What we advise, if they do not have an alternative way of managing this, to return the decision to the rakyat,” he said.
Well, maybe that's what Umno Kedah wants... give away the administration to the opposition!