'Truly transformational team' for Umno in Penang

GE13 WATCH Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who appears reluctant to dissolve Parliament ahead of midnight on April 29, is said to be facing vicious infighting over seat allocation within Umno.

In Penang, rumbles are being heard in the Umno camp that, despite all Najib’s talk about transformation, few youth leaders will be fielded as candidates in the 13th general election.

When contacted, the usually vocal Penang Umno Youth chief Shaik Hussein Mydin declined to comment.

But state BN liason committee chief Zainal Abidin Osman (left) defended his boss, saying that Najib’s decision not to dissolve Parliament yet is “a blessing in disguise” for the party.

The extended time has given the BN more opportunities to hammer the current state administration led by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on issues of affordable housing, sale of Malay land, and the recently announced RM6.3 billion integrated road and tunnel project.

“We are never tired of the struggle or working to ensure a win for the party. Besides, Najib knows what he is doing. He is a proper planner and already has a date in mind,” he said.

Due to the ‘delay’, BN has been able to go through its list of candidates thoroughly, and consult component parties, NGOs and community groups on potential choices, said Zainal Abidin.

“Now we get feedback and input from others. For example, we ask Gerakan and MCA if the Chinese community would be okay with our candidates, and we ask the same of MIC and the Peoples Progressive Party.

“We also ask the NGOs, farmers’ and fishermen’s associations and mosque committee members. We provide them a few choices and ask them who is best. We want to put up the best candidate for the PM to consider.”

On the claim that few youths will be fielded, Zainal Abidin put it to rest. He said Umno will field at least 50 percent new faces (including those between 40 and 50 years old), with three (under 40) from the Youth wing.

In the 2008 election, Umno fielded only one Youth leader in Penang - Norman Zahalan (in white shirt) in Batu Maung. He has been a frequent participant in Perkasa or NGO-linked rallies against Lim, constantly accusing him of marginalising the Malays.

Zainal Abidin declined to go into details about the names and seats, adding that the list has gone through two discussions with Najib, and was discussed for the third time last Friday.

“We truly want to put forward a political transformation team to show that we mean it, so that is why there will be a good mix of old and new faces,” he said, noting that the names were not plucked out of thin air but are winnable candidates.

Challenges in three seats

Umno is sticking to its 2008 formula by contesting five parliamentary seats - two (Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor) against PAS and three (Balik Pulau, Nibong Tebal and Permatang Pauh) against PKR, as well as eyeing 15 state seats in Penang.

Former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Kepala Batas) and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Tasek Gelugor) are likely to be retained as candidates.

There is a high probability of Umno fielding Telekom Malaysia Bhd general manager Dr Mazlan Ismail, dubbed a “winnable candidate”, in Permatang Pauh, but it is learnt that the local division may not be receptive to the plan.

The seat is currently held by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. Although he has hinted that he may contest in Perak or Selangor this time around, he could return to defend his home turf.

Zainal Abidin himself is the likely candidate for the Nibong Tebal seat, which he won in 2004 but lost to former PKR MP Tan Tee Beng in 2008.  

This time, he will meet Deputy Chief Minister I and state PKR chief Mansor Othman, whose candidacy was confirmed by Anwar.

Party sources reveal that Umno is finding it a challenge to place a candidate in the Balik Pulau seat as there are two interested candidates - assemblypersons Dr Hilmi Yahya (Teluk Bahang) and Muhammad Farid Saad (Pulau Betong).

It is learnt that the party is facing a similar problem in Batu Maung as two candidates - Norman and Bayan Baru division chief Abdul Rahim Saibu - are both vying for the seat.

In the state seats, Umno may take on PAS in four - previously winning with a comfortable majority in Penaga (1,231 votes) and Permatang Berangan (1,985), but marginally in Sungai Dua (535). Umno lost heavily in Permatang Pasir, by 5,433 votes.

Umno could face PKR in 11 other seats, having won with a comfortable majority in Bertam (2,652), Pinang Tunggal (3,235) and Telok Ayer Tawar (1,470), while scraping through in Seberang Jaya (533), Sungai Acheh (250), Bayan Lepas (399),Pulau Betong (294) and Teluk Bahang (465).

It had lost to PKR by a big majority in Penanti (2,219), Sungai Bakap (2,067) and Batu Maung (3,169).

War rooms at six levels

According to Zainal Abidin, at least six incumbents may be dropped as they have expressed their intention not to contest.

“About five, including MPs and state assemblypersons. have come to see me to express their intent to retire, because they have served many terms, as many as four or five,” he told Malaysiakini.

“One, who is in his late 60s, said he prefers not to contest and would like to give way to younger candidates due to his age.”

Penaga assemblyperson and state Opposition Leader Azhar Ibrahim (right) has already said he will not contest, and reconfirmed this last week.

It is learnt that the others include Abdullah, Jahara Hamid (Telok Ayer Tawar), Zabariah Abdul Wahab (Bertam) - who initially wanted to be dropped but later reportedly said she would leave it to the people to decide - and Shabudin Yahaya (Permatang Berangan) who had heart bypass surgery last September.

On the number of seats that Umno thinks it can win, Zainal Abidin said the party is doing all it can to defend the 11 state seats in hand and hopes to secure another two. It is targeting an extra seat to add on to the two parliamentary seats it won in 2008.

To recapture Penang, however, Umno and its partners - MCA, Gerakan, MIC and PPP - would have to win 21 of the 40 state seats to form a government with a simple majority.

BN component parties will rely on pro-Malay rights NGOs like Perkasa to help them deliver the votes in the rural and Malay-majority seats.

Going by the 2008 results, it will be tough for BN to make inroads into Chinese-majority seats now mainly held by DAP, while it will find it a challenge to attract voters in mixed seats held by PKR.

“We have six levels of machinery and war rooms - one at the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, one at the state level, in each state and parliamentary constituency, not forgetting the operation rooms of the candidate, as well as the various divisions and branches,” he said.

“They will all work in tandem, collectively and in unity, to try and recapture Penang from Pakatan Rakyat, Insyaallah.”