Muhyiddin: Najib needs a strong deputy

Although reportedly no longer the frontrunner in the race for Umno’s second most powerful job, Muhyiddin Yassin is “keeping his fingers crossed” that he will emerge triumphant on the night of March 26.
At 61, Muhyiddin’s strongest suit against his two rivals - Mohd Ali Rustam and Muhammad Muhd Taib - is his experience, having served as Johor menteri besar for 13 years and as a cabinet member for close to 14 years.
Turning around BN, Umno



This is the first of a two-part interview with Muhyiddin by Malaysiakini.


With two weeks to go, how’s your campaign for Umno deputy president going?

Muhyiddin: Normally you would have one or two months (of campaigning) before the general assembly but this time it’s six months, so it’s a long haul. Consequently, it’s very tedious in terms of the time you have to spend to meet with the delegates and all the division heads. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’m meeting many people, and of course, at the same time take the opportunity to explain current issues. While the party election process is important, the bigger issue is of course the interests of the nation, which I think are more important. When they start to evaluate (Umno) leadership, this should be the basis of how they should vote.

How are you different from the other two candidates - Mohd Ali Rustam and Muhammad Muhd Taib?

I am one of the more senior members of the party. I explain to them (the delegates) my track record in terms of service to the government in various ministries, (and) the positions that I have taken since I became member of Umno supreme council and as vice-president. I have been highlighting the experience I have gone through in managing the government and the party, so I am trying to impress upon the delegates that this should be the criteria in choosing a leader. I think my experience, both at local and international level, would be very useful (insofar) as putting someone as No. 2 in the party as well as in the government. These are the ingredients that you need. Well, I have to sell myself as a product. I think I have good qualities. But of course, while that is so, it’s not just about saying what you are, who you are and what you have been doing all this while... They also want you to be closer to them, shake more hands, look at them in the eye, pat their backs more often...

Kiss babies...

Yes, kiss babies and all that, sort of a public relations thing which is important in Umno but I don’t think that should be the overriding principle. At a time when we are facing serious problems, like what Umno is facing today, it’s best to have a strong team of leadership. Of course, they use the analogy that you can’t have two lions on the same mountain - that we have a strong leader with (Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president) Najib Abdul Razak , you cannot have another strong leader who would later mount a challenge (against him), but I explain to them (the delegates) that this is wrong. If you say so, it means you are saying ‘elect a not-so-strong leader’ or ‘elect a person who is weak’. I don’t think that’s what Umno wants, or that’s what the country wants. The country, at times like this, needs strong leadership.

But looking at Umno’s history, it’s in Najib’s interest to have a relatively weaker deputy rather than someone who could pose a threat to him.

I don’t think so. I think in many of my engagements with Najib, in the power transition plan that we worked out, he expressed that we are facing a complex situation - the need to turn around Umno and BN. These are important issues as well as tackling other problems of the day, like economic issues. This require more than just what I would (call) normal experience. You have to have the capabilities and the capacity to manage the situation and you need a team of people. You cannot do it alone, and I don’t think Najib would be thinking of the possibility of someone contesting against or going against him. I don’t think this is what he has in mind. He is pragmatic as a leader. He knows what are the important issues of the day and he will need a strong deputy who will be able to assist him, with experience, someone who has gone through the ups and downs in the government, something which I have been doing. Those should be, I believe, matters of interest to him as a prime minister.

Last week (Kelantan Umno chief) Anuar Musa said there was a meeting between Najib and all the party state chiefs to look for a compromise for the No. 2 position. Is it true?

I don’t know. I don’t have that sort of privileged information. There could have been (a meeting) but I have no knowledge as to what transpired. There were some news on that in fact, but I’m not privy to it. I’m not too sure if there are follow-ups to some of the proposals mooted by some people who say (that) under the present circumstances, with these sort of uncertainties, there is a need to work out some formula or a compromise.

But would you rather have a compromise candidate for the No. 2 spot?

Well, I could be prejudicial in saying that there should be a compromise but then I cannot be the one to be ‘compromised’ as what Ali Rustam (left) had said. He said, “Okay, if it’s not me then the other guys should go too.” To me, this is not a compromise. If it is me, I would say, yes, if there is a broad thinking among leaders at the top to say in the present circumstances you should sit down (to discuss), and this has always been the way Umno manages itself. Why don’t we sit down and talk? If we could reach a consensus that is bearable to all parties and not at the expense of the party, then why not? That should be the principle and it should not be self-serving - we should be looking at the broad interest of the party, so as far as I am concerned, it does not matter. If you asked me if it would be better to have some form of solution - not that it is against democracy, but under the circumstances we face - a formula or compromise that can be acceptable to all, I’m okay with it.

But it would be seen that Umno is so fragile that it is unable to have any kind of contest for No. 1 or 2 all these years and this is yet another case...

It is a matter of tradition, an understanding that we would want to avoid contests at the top for reasons of history because it (party split) happened before, and it took years and years before it can heal...

But this is recent history...

Yes, that was recent but now of course the situation is not feasible as far as Umno is concerned. It depends on the leaders themselves, whether or not they want to go through it or they want to find some amicable solution to the problem.

Apart from seniority and experience, what else would you tell the delegates about being fit for the No. 2 post?

I think they should look at my track record. I do not mince my words. I speak with clarity, my intentions for certain things, like what I did for the power transition plan. But more than that, I impress upon them (the delegates), even to create a feeling of fear that Umno cannot to continue to slide. We’ve realised in the post-mortem how Umno fared in the last elections, where we stand vis-a-vis the people’s support and not just the Malays but non-Malays as well. I explained to them the role Umno had played before as the premier party in BN and what is happening today. I explained to them the wider picture on why is there a need to reform and bring back (the core principles). We need action and I am a man of action. I mean things and I do it, and we need to be fast. I instilled in them the urgency (that) this (reform) needs to be done now. In fact, we have not done so, even after the elections, so now you need some sort of leadership (that can bring in reforms) and I believe I can offer these (qualities). These are the things they have to think about carefully - it’s not just merely an Umno issue, it is also in the interest of the Malaysian people. Never in the history of the party elections have the people at large, both non-Malays and Malays, (taken) so much interest in Umno - like who is going to be the president or the deputy because they are going to be the leaders of the country. People want to know how the leadership will handle the economy (and) politics, and whether or not they have trust in the person who will hold such positions. I told them, with all the surveys that I have done, Muhyiddin is the person who can help. You can’t say I have to be very modest about it, and this is true. I have been getting a lot of support from people outside who care about the state of things and they tell me that I must be there to help the leadership.

You garnered the highest nominations (for vice-presidency) but if you look at history, in the 1997 Umno polls, it did not translate into votes. What do you think of your chances?

It’s fairly good. I’ve gone through this exercise many times so this is not the first - in the supreme council race, vice-presidency race - four or five times. Of course, this is the first time I am running for deputy presidency. I understand the thinking of the delegates and of course, I know the nominations are not as important but they do come from the divisions without any coaxing. It is a natural response for them to say that - because of what I have done, because they know me and because of the role I played in terms of the transition plan - they acknowledge I have the capability of doing something (and so) they nominated me. The numbers are encouraging. But of course, it changed after a few weeks because of certain, as usual, unseen hands moving around. I do hope that they acknowledge the situation Umno is in at the moment, and that they choose the right leader. Of course, you’ll say, ‘Who’s the right leader?’ I’m the right person, because I can serve, I can perform, and it (leadership) should be based on that criteria.

You don’t have a personal blog. Why is that?

I’m a bit too busy at the moment, but I know I have a lot of fans who are bloggers themselves who blog and write things about me. Not all are good, but it’s okay. When I feel like I have the time maybe I can start blogging and engage the people directly.

Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail has given the impression that money politics is intractable. He has even suggested abolishing the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings.

Sometimes it’s just an impression, sometimes it’s the truth. What Tengku (right) did say is in exasperation, in disappointment because he chairs the disciplinary board and I think he has been receiving a lot of complaints involving everybody inside there, so obviously it is something that is not good for the party. It’s something we should want to avoid and I’m also one of the strongest proponent for taking action against money politics. I was instrumental in having this special AGM to table a resolution to fight money politics. I think there must be a process of political education to tell people ‘just stop it, don’t do that’. It will not only hurt a few but the whole party. This is something that the party will have to continue to address. It’s not something that you can solve in one day - this corruption thing - that’s why it is an on-going exercise to create awareness (and) institute actions to reduce it. It is a fight that Umno has to take up.

Umno is a political party based on patronage politics. People expect government contracts so it’s going to be quite difficult to just tell them ‘don’t do it’…

Yes, it’s not easy but we have to institute some very serious form of discipline. I know even in an open society, an anti-corruption commission has to be formed to deal with this scourge. But in Umno, we have not plunged to that stage yet. We don’t want it to become a cancer within the party that will put you in a difficult situation in the future. So yes, it is not easy, but that’s why I suggested that the (disciplinary) board must be reinforced in terms of (human resources) and capacity to deal with the situation. Fast decisions must be made to institute action against those who are involved in money politics. But also very important is the process of creating awareness and educating Umno members about how serious the consequences are, especially since Umno is part of the government. The image that we have is not good, so we have to do this - it’s a fight that we have to continue.

You were part of Anwar Ibrahim’s Wawasan team in the 1993 Umno polls (along with Najib and Muhammad). How do you see his threat to take over the government?

Well, Sept 16 did not happen. So it was one big bluff, and of course he is still aspiring to continue to do that, maybe with less intent than before because he sees that people do not believe in what he is saying any more. You can’t hoodwink the people with this sort of thing. But if he is really a person of democracy, then he should believe in democracy - that this (BN) government is legal and it is properly and duly put into position of power to govern this country. You have to wait for four or five years - there will be another election - and see whether or not you have the support of the people to govern. Now that you have been given a chance to govern those states that are no more under BN - prove it. You see what has happened to Perak? Anwar’s trick (backfired) on him. It is not our doing, it’s not the BN’s doing, it is something that they (Pakatan Rakyat) did, and they got caught in the situation. The people who have been put into power must govern and people who have not been entrusted should not disturb the government, and have to perform their duty as an honourable opposition. So all this talk about toppling and coaxing BN members to cross over, I don’t think that it is good. It creates instability and Anwar is the biggest culprit in this political instability, I’m sorry to say that. He is my friend but I don’t think that he is doing this (the) right (way). We just have to stop it. People are asking about why are we talking so much about politics. Politics seem to override the main issue of the day, which is governance (and the) economic situation that we are facing. I am sorry to say (this) but we were not given that chance (to rule). Malaysiakini was also part of it (laughs), so-called culprit. I’m sorry - that’s a joke. That’s it, so I think Anwar will just have to accept that whether it is a two-thirds majority or a simple majority, it is a majority for the (federal) government. You have to give the government the chance to rule.

But the same argument can be levelled against BN, that BN is creating instability in Perak.

We’re not. The fact that we are now back in government is not (because) we have created instability. It is they (Pakatan) who created instability to the extent that their own members distrusted them and left and then became Independents (who) support the BN. So it is not our doing, we don’t scheme those things. They should ask why those PKR guys left and (did) not support them. Obviously because they are disgusted and very disappointed. They (Pakatan) have not proven themselves as a viable government and I think the people know about it. We haven’t been fair to the people. The people who put you in power, they want you to serve, but you are not serving, you are politicking, so I don’t think it’s fair to the people. We have lost one year already since the last election, and people ask ‘what have you done’. Because of what is happening, the people are blaming the BN. People are blaming everybody. The PKR has been blamed, the DAP government has been blamed, the BN government, of course, has been blamed. I think everybody is at fault - we should put some sense back into the minds of every politician, to serve the people - that is more important than serving your own (interests).

tunku : Muhyiddin for Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister.