Mike Tyson to rule again with Khairy Jamaluddin's help?
Malaysiakini.com
Nov 22, 2006
Muhammad Razif

Will former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhd Taib return to the helm of the state government following the next general election?

This speculation has been making the rounds since Muhammad (left), known among the grassroots as Mike Tyson, was appointed senator last Friday.

According to pundits, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin is believed to be the hidden force in engineering Muhammad’s ascension at the expense of his rival, current menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

“Muhammad’s appointment as senator is just the first step in the ‘grand design’,” claimed a Shah Alam Umno member today.

He said Khir is seen as a strong contender for Khairy - who is also the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - in the race for the Umno Youth chief post.

“Because of this, something must be done to weaken Khir to prevent him from contesting against Khairy when Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein steps down.

“Selangor is one of the states with the highest number of delegates at the Umno general assembly, hence Khir’s influence is significant,” he noted.

The menteri besar, regarded as having an impressive track record in ruling Selangor and possesses a strong influence in the party, is seen as capable of ousting the premier’s son-in-law.

In the 2004 contest for the Umno supreme council, Khir garnered the highest number of votes among the 20 elected candidates.

Federal post

According to another observer, moving Khir to a federal post will also weaken his influence among the party grassroots.

“And the best candidate to replace him is Muhammad. He is a person accepted by the people to helm the state government and state Umno.

“Furthermore, having a trusted lieutenant at the top will make it easier to convince delegates to support Khairy if there is a contest between Khir (left) and him,” he claimed.

Muhammad, 61, stepped down as Selangor menteri besar in April 1997 after he was arrested the year before for allegedly falsely declaring the amount of cash he was taking into Australia.

He was later acquitted by a Brisbane court but charged in Malaysia for failing to declare his assets to the Anti-Corruption Agency. He was later acquitted of this charge as well.

Meanwhile, the observer said the first glimpse of the ‘grand design’ was seen in the postponement of the Umno polls, slated for this year, till after the next general election.

“The premier’s son-in-law is playing a chess game and moving his pieces strategically. Khir’s men could be dropped while Khir might be named as a candidate for a parliamentary seat in order to make him a deputy minister or full minister.

“Muhammad, on the other hand, will be named as a candidate for a state seat and subsequently appointed as menteri besar,” he said.

“When he becomes menteri besar, Muhammad will also head the state Umno liaison committee making it convenient for the Khairy camp to plan the next move,” he claimed.

Media blitz

A veteran politician with close links to the top leadership in Umno also did not rule out the possibility of a hidden plan being implemented.

“Although this is just speculation, it cannot be totally rejected. As we know, in Malaysia, there is a tendency for rumours to become facts.

“Furthermore, we can see that of late Khir is constantly being targeted by the media, especially a particular private television station,” he said.

The veteran politician, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out that whatever weaknesses in the Selangor government are given prominent coverage by the media.

The latest, he noted, was the controversy surrounding Port Klang state assemblyperson Zakaria Mat Deros (right).

“Many quarters believe that the Zakaria issue was blown up by certain people who wanted to expose the shortcomings in Khir’s administration,” he said.
Apart from this, other issues such as floods in Shah Alam, landslides and illegal logging in the state are also deliberately given widespread media coverage, he added.
    
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