When Zaid Ibrahim, the former law minister and now a staunch critic of the Najib Abdul Razak administration, announced March 27 as the D-Day to oust Najib, it set the nation abuzz.

As steam picked up on this railroad announcement to oust Najib, the former premier of twenty-two years, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, did not mince his words as he too addressed the press. He was crystal clear that Najib must be removed from the seats of both prime minister and finance minister in order to save a nation, for starters.

He urged all Malaysians to step forward to lend support on March 27. Party politics and party interests are to be left behind in a much-needed nationwide effort that alone can force the current prime minister to quit.

So as it stays of to-date, March 27 is supposed to be a day of political reckoning as Malaysians gather peacefully all over the nation in a closed door venues that are yet to be identified, to demand that Najib leave.

But what remains most disturbing are the following that reflects the continuing and confused Malaysian political landscape and its leaders and supporters:

The opposition political parties namely DAP, PKR, PAS and AMANAH have yet to convey their united voice to the clarion call by Zaid. These very parties that have been shouting and jostling to ensure the Najib administration is shown the exit door are suddenly playing dumb and blindfolded.

They are now either demanding that the terms of reference to removing Najib must be on their dictum or it’s a no-go with Zaid’s urging and Dr Mahathir’s involvement.

Bersih, too, has thrown a spanner in the works with its own tape of measurement to cut a national fabric of progressive democracy.

It now appears that removing Najib is not the top priority any more. Party demands and the fulfillment of its own agenda is the underlying quest. This perception is quietly gaining currency.

Meanwhile Najib’s team is pushing the alarm buttons for drastic action on those within Umno who were dismissed from their posts earlier. The rebuttals and counter statements dished out through the media are beginning to not only sound most crass but what is most frightening is, the Najib loyalists - some of whom are holding ministerial positions, are literally being rude, uncouth, unkind and blunt with their warnings.

Fear-creation agenda

“We mean business” seems to be the clear message being drummed through. The perception being created is that a fear-creation agenda is grinding fast in the mills of government.

The ministers’ red-hot warnings and statements are also fuelling more liabilities. One for certain is the fact that the country’s political reputation is sinking fast too under the speculation that Najib’s supporters and sympathisers will be unleashed come March 27 or even earlier, to plug and flush any attempt to unseat Najib and along with him his wife and the team of staunch loyalists.

At the same time, the various media elsewhere are reporting of more or on-going investigations on Malaysia’s leadership and its involvement in financial dealings that are suspect of alleged misappropriation and or may be scandalous by world standards.

The global media spotlights are zooming onto the Malaysians political landscape and investors are monitoring closely.

Although the Malaysian attorney-general has cleared the prime minister of all allegations and put the latter on a shining new slate, the public are not convinced. Although the communications and multimedia minister has unleashed his hard-hitting criticism over the Wall Street Journal , the public are not swayed either in their opinions.

The obvious truth we cannot deny is that the country is splintered.

On the surface it appears that there is only a dualism here, i.e. those who are for and those who are dead against the ouster of Najib. But it is the undercurrents that are most troubling.

The undercurrents are now showing up and confirming that while Umno is deeply wounded by the for-and-against Najib stand among its members, the opposition is also divided on the terms of ousting Najib. So, too, are civil society groups like Bersih for example.

So it seems that in all likelihood March 27 may never happen. Or it could happen and crash in mayhem. Or it could come and go and the Malaysian public will be blinded again in yet another storm of numbers, arguing how many actually turned up, as they once again turn to the contrary counting on the next general election.

Wonder how on earth are Malaysians - leaders, followers and loyalists ever going to determine and agree what is the future they want for the country? Or will their resign to their well-known bread and butter focus and leave the rest to their appointed or anointed leaders to worry about?

Indeed the countdown to March 27 is already being marred with more self-inflicted failings by the days. And so have been the many accounts of wanting to save this nation in the past several years since the last two general elections.