|
Many members stay out of loyalty while top MPs will lose privileges if they go By Hazlin Hassan, The Straits Times
UMNO MPs and the party's decision-making body have appeared to back their leader, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, following former premier Mahathir Mohamad's call for mass resignations, but were they really sincere? What is clear is that party members holding important positions are unlikely to defect or demand Datuk Seri Abdullah's resignation. Critics say that membership has its privileges. They point out that high-ranking party members who quit the party have a lot to lose. And Tun Dr Mahathir leaving the party means he no longer has any favours to dish out. 'Only those in positions will support Abdullah. Those at the top have got much to lose. But tomorrow they will change their colours, once the leader changes,' political analyst Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of the National University of Malaysia told The Straits Times. Mr Abdullah has so far rejected calls for him to give way to his deputy Najib Razak, saying that he would contest in the party polls this year. That's another reason why many would not quit the party now. By doing so, the party would be left with only the Prime Minister's staunch supporters. This would make it impossible to vote out the party president during the December internal polls. One Umno KL division leader said on condition of anonymity that 'if all of us who hate Abdullah leave the party, who then will vote him out?' Another Umno division chief, from Terengganu, poured scorn on Tun Dr Mahathir's move. 'In order to save the party, you must leave the party, en masse! I don't know what logic that is,' he said. Umno supreme council member Norza Zakaria also dismissed fears of a mass exodus from Umno, saying Dr Mahathir's move was 'uncultured' and would not cause a big impact. According to him, Umno party members were extremely loyal. 'The notion of putting the party above individual interests has always been here. Even though we suffered slight damage to our reputation during the general election, the supreme council agreed that it is a collective responsibility, rather than putting the blame on one person,' he said, referring to critics blaming the PM for the government's poor showing in the elections. The Terengganu division chief told The Straits Times: 'Given the scenario, what can they say? They can't desert the party. 'In this country, it does not pay to go against the No. 1,' he said, without elaborating. He brushed aside fears that there would be more resignations following hot on the heels of Dr Mahathir's footsteps. 'His wife and his son have joined him. Now maybe his driver and his cook will too. 'I think the dust will settle soon. The market got jittery but after three to four days, nothing more happened. It will return to normal.'
 |
The Blogs 
