Tok Mat likely to become the compromise PM candidate after the election

Zahid is too toxic even for UMNO

UMNO and the Barisan Nasional (BN) still look like they can with the support of Sarawak’s Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) form a government with a working majority. Any hopes of gaining a two-thirds majority have gone out of the window with dropped incumbents deserting UMNO, and running as independents. The complex array of multi-party contests across the nation makes many results unreadable.

There is no reliable electoral polling, and certainly none in the large number of seats that could potentially change hands this election.

However, one thing that is beginning to stick out from the BN campaign is the toxicity of UMNO party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Although Zahid has been making big promises like free education for all within the B40 group, it just isn’t working for him personally. Some polling on leadership popularity puts Zahid last at around 12%.

Ismail Sabri Yaakob is the official BN candidate for the prime ministership. However, you wouldn’t know it by the way he has been campaigning. Anything he says is being taken negatively by the media anyway, almost as if it is on purpose. Ismail Sabri must be careful he doesn’t become UMNOs ‘fall guy.”

The draw of UMNO candidates doesn’t favour Ismail Sabri, as its stacked heavily in favour of Zahid. He won’t have the number sin parliament.

The key issue will be how personal supporters Ismail Sabri will have in the new parliament

After the election is conclude, a prime minister must be appointed. The Agong will meet with the leader of the largest party in the Dewan Rakyat, who he believes can form a government.

The bottom line is who would be most acceptable to the Yang Di-Petuan Agong as prime ministerial candidate? The Agong has some discretion to select the prime minister.

Zahid would not be publicly acceptable. That’s clear now. Appointing Zahid as prime minister would make the new government appear illegitimate. This will lead to a very unpopular government. There are still court cases that need to be cleared up.

Ismail Sabri on the other hand would be the most legitimate prime ministerial candidate. He is now the caretaker prime minister. The only problem is that a large number of UMNO MPs just may not support him in private. If Ismail Sabri was selected as prime minister, he would continually be undermined by those within his own party, leading to political instability.

So, after the election, a compromise candidate may be required. This must be a compromise acceptable to both the people and the party.

Enter, Mohamad Hasan, or Tok Mat as he is popularly known. Khairy Jamaluddin stood aside in the Rembau seat in Negri Sembilan, so Tok Mat could get a seat in federal parliament. He should win it comfortably, as this area is his home turf.

Tok Mat is a long serving state politician, with a background in banking, serving in senior management. He has served as chief minister in Negri Sembilan and is a long serving member of the UMNO Supreme Council. He was even acting president for 6 months.

Tok Mat just might be the most acceptable face to head the new government. He is aligned with Zahid, but gets along with other factions inside UMNO, and the leaders of other political parties.

After the election on November 19, Tok Mat just might come into play.

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