THE political career of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz began with a grand entrance, akin to a hero being welcomed with a red carpet.
Transitioning from the corporate world, where he served as the CIMB chief executive officer, Zafrul entered politics on March 9, 2020, with his appointment as Finance Minister under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration led by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Ahead of the 15th General Election (GE15), he officially joined Umno as a registered member. Despite being a newcomer in Umno, Zafrul's rise in both political and governmental roles within the party appeared effortless.
After Barisan Nasional (BN) joined the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim post-GE15, Zafrul, who is also the Umno Kota Raja division chief, was appointed as Miti Minister under BN's quota and he also became Umno Selangor treasurer.
However, his Cabinet appointment sparked controversy since he lost in his bid for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat.
In the 2023 Umno election, Zafrul once again saw a smooth path, winning the position of Kota Raja Umno division chief and being appointed to the Umno Supreme Council by the party's president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Despite a promising start, Zafrul faced setbacks in his political career when he was not nominated to contest in any state assembly seats during the 2023 Selangor state election.
Speculations had been rife that he would contest the Sungai Tua seat and could potentially be a candidate for Selangor Menteri Besar if the unity government triumphed.
However, BN surprised many by nominating its Selangor deputy chaiman Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz for the seat instead.
An anonymous Umno source claimed that this decision significantly strained Zafrul’s relationship with Selangor BN.
It was suggested that Zafrul felt sabotaged by a state Umno leader who opposed his candidacy.
"Moreover, DAP was reportedly willing to forgo its seat in Sungai Tua to pave the way for Zafrul, signaling Pakatan Harapan's (PH) endorsement of him as a potential Menteri Besar candidate.
"With his close ties to the royal institution, Zafrul’s chances of becoming Selangor Menteri Besar would have been bright if he had contested and won," the source said.
Following Selangor BN's poor performance in the 2023 state election, where the coalition won only two of the 12 seats it contested, Zafrul resigned as Selangor BN treasurer in April, citing dissatisfaction with the party’s strategy.
The source said this move reflected Zafrul’s frustration with Selangor Umno's internal politics and his readiness to make drastic decisions.
This could be seen when Zafrul later confirmed discussions about joining PKR and publicly criticised Umno’s internal issues.
Hidden Agendas?
Former Selangor Umno chairman Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo suggested there might be a "hidden agenda" behind the controversy surrounding Zafrul as his term as a Senator was set to expire in December.
Under Article 45 of the Federal Constitution, a senator's term is limited to two terms and Zafrul had served since March 9, 2020.
"This raises questions about his continued eligibility to hold a Cabinet position," Khir said.
He also speculated that PKR’s openness to Zafrul joining the party might be a strategy by PH to weaken Umno-BN.
"Their willingness to "fish" for Zafrul openly is a significant blow to Umno. It seems PH does not want Umno to grow stronger by retaining talented leaders like Zafrul," he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor BN Youth chief Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin expressed concern about Zafrul’s potential move to PKR saying it could set an unhealthy precedent within the unity government.
He urged all parties, including PKR, Umno and Zafrul to use the unity government’s secretariat as a platform to resolve disputes amicably.
"If party-hopping becomes a reality, it will undoubtedly strain the harmony within the BN-PH partnership," Imran said.
He also emphasised the need to allow Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to continue leading without disruption to ensure the state’s development agenda remained on track.