Disqualification leads to disquiet in Umno

Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam was ironically at a meet-the-candidates session on Tuesday when the news broke that he was disqualified from contesting the Umno deputy presidency.

He was already prepared for the news, and betrayed no emotion. His supporters were emotional, and some were seen crying.

About 150 of them headed for the airport to await Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi"s return from Indonesia.

"We appealed to the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision to prohibit Ali from contesting and he gave a positive response," Mr Yusoff Kassim, a Malacca divisional chief, was
quoted by Bernama as saying.

Datuk Seri Ali, 59, is hugely popular with the Umno grassroots, and this had given him an advantage in the race for the party's No. 2 post - which traditionally also means becoming Malaysia"s deputy premier.

The next closest challenger, International Trade and Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, is better qualified but with far less of a people's touch. Rural and Regional Development Minister Muhammad Muhammad Taib was a distant third, but his position has suddenly improved, thanks to Mr Ali's disqualification.

He now stands a fighting chance to win next Wednesday because Mr Ali's men may throw their support behind him. They are angry, not just at the outcome but also at the perception of selective prosecution.

This turn of events has turned out to be a bit of a mess for Umno.

Its members do not seem to believe in the impartiality of the party's disciplinary board. They see the findings as a move to block certain candidates, disguised as reforms to stamp out vote-buying.

On Tuesday, it found Mr Ali liable for vote-buying carried out by his political secretary and two other campaign agents, and banned him from contesting.

It also found Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of the Prime Minister, guilty of the same offence in his bid for the Umno Youth presidency. But he was let off with a warning because there was not enough evidence to tie him to those allegedly buying votes for him.

This seeming inconsistency - and the coincidence that both are seen to be linked to Datuk Seri Abdullah - has fanned outrage among the Umno grassroots.

"It has created internal turmoil. The public already does not believe Umno is serious about reforming; now even party members doubt it," said Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, a Johor divisional leader.

Mr Khairy told The Straits Times on Tuesday that "it was not a coincidence" but refused to elaborate.

Just last week, Federal Territory Umno Youth chief Norza Zakaria, who is seen as close to Mr Khairy and his father-in-law, was charged in court with money politics.

Tourism Minister Azalina Othman Said, who was also allied to Mr Khairy at one time, came under a cloud after her political secretary was found with RM70,000 in his car, allegedly for campaigning purposes.

Both are contesting a seat in the Supreme Council.

Regardless of the outcome, both are now left with a taint that will mar their political future, including future appointments to the Cabinet.

Critics have accused Deputy Premier Najib Razak of carrying out a purge of Mr Abdullah"s loyalists as he gears up to take the party presidency.

"Ali Rustam is being singled out because he is not in the Deputy Prime Minister's camp," opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was quoted as saying on his party's website.

But Datuk Seri Najib"s supporters rubbish this. They point out that he has never shown any preference for any candidate.

"People merely assume that his choice will be those who are not Abdullah's men," one of them said. They also point out that there were hundreds of complaints about Mr Ali from the grassroots, although his supporters blame Tan Sri Muhyiddin for orchestrating this.

The fallout will take a lot of damage control to manage, within Umno itself. It has left suspicions, and may result in Mr Najib inheriting a party with deep rifts.

"It's a double whammy," Mr Nur Jazlan said. - The Straits Times