PETALING JAYA: Umno leaders who are facing graft trials in court could return to the Cabinet, two political analysts said yesterday.
Umno’s popularity among the grassroots could enable the party to become the dominant force in the country’s politics, said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng.
This would subsequently pave the way for the likes of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to return, he added.
Najib and Ahmad Zahid, who are former prime minister and former deputy prime minister respectively, are among several top Umno leaders who were left out in Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Cabinet line-up that was announced on Monday.
Muhyiddin had said that he would only appoint lawmakers of calibre who have integrity and a clean track record.
Khoo, however, said this might not be the case for too long due to the strong grassroots support these Umno leaders have and which Muhyiddin lacks.
“The problem with the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is it is just a loose coalition. In the next general election (GE), the dynamics of politics will change.
“There will be negotiations for seat allocations in the next couple of years, and it is going to be tough for Muhyiddin. Whether he will even last beyond the next GE is a big question. Umno is still the dominant force, you can’t keep them out forever.
“It is just a matter of time (before the top leaders return to power). If they have the grassroots support, there is no stopping them,” he said.
Khoo was asked whether he felt the careers of these Umno leaders who are facing charges in court are over, following their exclusion from the Cabinet.
Other than Najib and Ahmad Zahid, other prominent Umno absentees are Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who were all slapped with multiple charges of graft and abuse of power.
Political observer Prof Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said any possibility of them returning to top positions in the government would only likely happen after the next GE, which has to be held by May 2023.
He said even if they were cleared of their charges in court, it was unlikely that Muhyiddin would want to disrupt the stability of the new government.
“I think Muhyiddin will maintain the Cabinet as it is for now. I don’t see any drastic changes being made.
“In any case, the ongoing cases will most likely drag for months, if not years. So we have to wait after the next GE,” he said when contacted.
Azizuddin said he also does not believe these Umno leaders would “hang their shoes” anytime soon, considering they have spent all their lives in politics.
