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Najib fights back, but will he last?

Yesterday’s Cabinet reshuffle and removal of the Attorney-General showed that Prime Minister Najib Razak had the guts in him to remove his threats in a bid to ensure his political survival.

Mr Najib (right) and Mr Muhyiddin in happier times at an UMNO event in 2009. Mr Muhyiddin’s attack on the Prime Minister at an event on Sunday night was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Photo: REUTERS

Mr Najib (right) and Mr Muhyiddin in happier times at an UMNO event in 2009. Mr Muhyiddin’s attack on the Prime Minister at an event on Sunday night was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Photo: REUTERS

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Yesterday’s Cabinet reshuffle and removal of the Attorney-General showed that Prime Minister Najib Razak had the guts in him to remove his threats in a bid to ensure his political survival.

For some years, Mr Najib has been accused by the hardliners in the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) for being too soft in dealing with opposition and dissent.

Not anymore. Not when Mr Najib is fighting for his political life after being embroiled in the scandal surrounding state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which has accumulated debts of RM42 billion (S$15 billion).

Mr Najib’s first move yesterday was the sudden removal of Attorney-General (AG) Abdul Gani Patail, who was part of a special task force probing claims that US$700 million (S$956 million) linked to 1MDB had been funnelled into the Premier’s accounts. The constitutionality of his removal has quickly been questioned by many, as the AG, like judges, is protected from arbitrary sacking.

Rumours have it that Mr Gani was making preparations to prosecute Mr Najib. Of course, the AG’s removal is a warning sign to the chiefs of three other agencies — Bank Negara, the Malaysia Police and Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) — in the task force that a similar fate may befall them.

Mr Gani’s replacement, former Federal Court judge Mohamed Apandi Ali, is a hardliner. In 2013, he ruled that non-Muslims could not use the word “Allah” because their religious freedom was subject to Muslims’ approval.

Shortly after Mr Gani’s removal, Mr Najib sacked Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been criticising how Mr Najib handled the 1MDB saga.

Mr Mudyiddin’s attack on Mr Najib at a party grassroots event on Sunday night was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

For more than half a century, Malaysia has had only six Prime Ministers — all from UMNO. The party’s president is customarily the country’s Prime Minister and his deputy in the party will also be his deputy in the government.

It is therefore extremely rare for a sitting Deputy Prime Minister to be removed while still holding the party’s No 2 post. The last and only time this happened was in 1998, when Malaysia’s political landscape was completely changed. Anwar Ibrahim was sacked both from the government and party, and imprisoned for sodomy and power abuse.

For that, then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad almost lost the 1999 general election, if not because of the support of Chinese voters, who feared ethnic riots following regime change.

Mr Muhyiddin’s replacement as Deputy Prime Minister by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the highlight of the Cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday afternoon.

The promotion of the ambitious Mr Ahmad Zahid marks a meteoric rise for the former political secretary to Mr Najib. Widely seen as a hawk, Mr Zahid has just slapped a three-month suspension, which started on Monday, on two financial dailies under The Edge Media Group for their reports alleging wrongdoing in 1MDB.

The Cabinet reshuffle also sees the Parliament’s Public Account Committee (PAC) Chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamed and three of his colleagues being appointed as minister and deputy ministers. As they have to step down from the PAC, the bipartisan committee’s investigation on 1MDB’s financial deals will also be halted. Interestingly, the police also announced yesterday the appointment of the new chief for their Special Branch, the unit tasked to deal with politicians.

It seems Mr Najib is putting up a fight at all costs. While Mr Muhyiddin has not been slapped with any allegation of sexual misconduct like Anwar 17 years ago, an NGO linked to Mr Najib has asked the MACC to investigate Mr Muhyiddin for graft.

Will the ousted Deputy Prime Minister, who has been rather indecisive, fight back? A factor against him is that he does not enjoy broad support among UMNO’s rank and file.

Regardless, it is hard to imagine that Mr Najib’s greatest critic and threat, Dr Mahathir, will be deterred. The grand old man of Malaysian politics brought down two Prime Ministers and forced out two of his own Deputy Prime Ministers.

There are three possible ways Mr Najib may eventually be ousted: A revolt from within UMNO, a joint action of UMNO rebels and the opposition, or the defeat of UMNO in the next general election which must be called latest three years from now.

A revolt within UMNO to save itself from electoral defeat is not impossible, if more damaging evidence implicating Mr Najib emerges. And that is most likely what Dr Mahathir will try to do.

While Mr Ahmad Zahid was once Anwar’s ally who was ostracised for attacking Dr Mahathir, the former Premier may not mind working with the comeback kid in UMNO politics to remove Mr Najib.

After all, the most dreadful development for Dr Mahathir would be for the opposition to come into power to dismantle his authoritarian legacies, release Anwar from his second imprisonment and stop the rise of his son Mukhriz, who is currently Chief Minister of Kedah.

If that turns out to be true, Mr Ahmad Zahid would be rewriting the history of prime ministerial wars in UMNO and be the first Deputy Prime Minister to oust his boss.

Dr Wong Chin Huat is head of political and social analysis at Penang Institute.

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