Zahid's "insanely" tight ship

KUALA LUMPUR - The second day of Umno’s 2022 General Assembly attests one thing – that its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi runs a tight ship.

In fact, Zahid’s reign has proven to be so firm to the point that the party’s wing chiefs – the Youth, Puteri and Wanita – echoed the need for him to continue helming Umno.

It was as if the Malay party’s most dismal and humiliating performance in last year’s 15th General Election (GE15) – where the party only won 26 parliamentary seats – did not matter at all.

It was also as if no leader in the party’s upper echelon should shoulder the burden and take responsibility for leading the party into its second electoral defeat at the national poll.

“The president is the party’s centre of gravity,” roared youth chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as he delivered his policy speech during the wing’s general assembly today.

And according to Asyraf Wajdi – who lost at Umno stronghold constituency, Gerik, in GE15 – if a centre of gravity was to be weakened or disrupted even a colossal planet can shatter apart.

Almost immediately after the party lost GE15, the call for Zahid to step down reverberated loudly. It was led by now-sacked Ketereh division chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

At that time, many saw the merits of Annuar’s contention; even more so as some brought up Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s voluntary resignation as Umno president following the loss in GE14.

“This is our weakness. To defend the presidential institution is alien among us,” said Puteri chief Datuk Zahida Zarik Khan in her policy speech during the wing’s general meeting.

“Look at those who have lost in many elections, they do not pressure their president to step down. This is why Umno continues to deteriorate,” she claimed.

The mood set by party leadership today was that Umno was no longer keen with dissenting views anymore as it wanted stability.

“Internally, we lost (GE15) because some of us have been ceaselessly shooting our own feet,” claimed Wanita chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad in her policy speech during the wing’s annual meeting.

And to remedy the predicament, Noraini mooted for an internal cleansing of the party.

“It must be done in totality. No compromise,” argued Noraini.

On the outset, Zahid seemed poise to retain his presidency as a total of 140 divisions have called for the president post to not be opened for contest in the coming party poll.

While many called this stability, there were those who deemed it insanity.

“Stop this madness, I think the president (Zahid) is a fighter who is not afraid to face challengers,” said former Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

"Make room for competition, don't kill the democracy in Umno,” he added.