Friday 29 Mar 2024
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IN describing Selangor Umno, a national-level Umno strategist used a term all too familiar among business circles – PN17.

As many would know, PN17 stands for Practice Note 17 and is issued by Bursa Malaysia relating to companies that are in financial distress. Or does not have a core business. Or has failed to meet the minimum capital or equity.

Companies that fall within the definition of PN17 will need to submit their proposal to the approving authority to restructure and revive the company in order to maintain its listing status.

So that's how the Umno strategist see Selangor Umno. "If in business, many divisions in Selangor Umno are classified or categorised as PN17. Many problems. Very problematic," said he said.

A political observer has this to say: "Their reading on the situation was all wrong. Before GE13, Umno Selangor rated its chances of winning back the state at 70%.

"Even at 9pm on polling day when results were coming in, they insisted they would win back Selangor when everybody else knew it was not so. I don't know where and how they got such readings and ratings and why they kept on saying all that. Perhaps to boost morale, I don't know," said the observer.

Also, it's no secret there were many Umno "warlords" who simply can't get along with one another and took pains to outdo each other. Two names come to mind. Datuk Seri Noh Omar and Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed.

Umno president-cum-BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak had to assume the role of state BN chairman in an effort seen as a way to "defuse the warlord situation".

Noh who was then agriculture and agro-based minister was made deputy state BN chairman while former works minister Mohd Zin was appointed Selangor BN election coordinator. Both big powerful posts.

To say Najib is "cheesed off" with the election result is an understatement. Said the observer: "I pity Najib. He was like alone working hard. The rest of Selangor Umno depended on him wholesale."

It is said both Noh and Mohd Zin had their own candidates list which were presented to Najib and choice of candidates was one of the many problems then.

But the selecting of at least one candidate, which many in BN felt had also contributed to the dismal poll performance, was attributed to Najib himself. That of Perkasa's Datuk Zulkifli Noordin. Many in BN now say choosing Zulkifli as a direct BN candidate was a mistake. The reasons are many and well known to all. No elaboration needed.

Former Umno minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim made this observation in his blog: "Najib punished Selangor Umno for their miserable showing in the recent poll by bypassing senior Umno leaders for positions in his newly announced cabinet even though he put himself in charge of winning back the state."

Noh was not reappointed minister although he won Tanjung Karang. Mohd Zin however failed to defend his Sepang parliamentary seat.

To the political observer, Selangor Umno "must get their act together now" if BN is to win Selangor in GE14. "If BN can't win back the state in GE14 then Selangor will continue to be ruled by Pakatan for long, long time. A very long time, if at all recapturing the state can be done," the observer said.

To the Umno strategist, party members in the state "must make a very difficult but necessary decision come Umno election – at branch and division level."

"Change of leadership, transfer of power must take place. Especially in areas where Umno lost in GE13. New faces must be brought to the forefront. Only then Selangor Umno can move forward."

Umno branch meetings are expected to be held, at the earliest, from July 15 to Aug 31, followed by division meetings and then the general assembly.

Noh meanwhile has said he is willing to take responsibility for the poor GE13 performance and will step down if  Najib demands his resignation. "However if he still trusts me, I promise I will give my best for the next election so that BN retakes Selangor," Noh was reported to have said. (Najib thus far has not said anything on the state Umno leadership).

And as for warlords, well, they are not called warlords for nothing.
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