Umno ada pemimpin lain layak jadi PM selain Zahid, kata penganalisis

Analysts suggest that there are other capable leaders who could potentially become Prime Minister besides Umno's President Zahid Hamidi, as stated by Khairy Jamaluddin during Umno's General Assembly meeting last weekend. Azmi Hassan, a political analyst from the Nusantara Academy, stated that while it is not necessary for Umno to overlook Zahid as the future President, the ruling coalition should give more space to some of their senior leaders.

He mentioned that Umno has a line-up of very capable leaders, such as Timbalan Presiden Mohamad Hasan (Tok Mat) and Naib Presiden Johari Ghani. Azmi further said that giving them more opportunities could help the party present a cleaner and stronger image regarding corruption issues, especially after some of their previous leaders were associated with corruption scandals.

Zahid is still awaiting full release following his conviction in the Akalbudi Foundation case, with his bail granted in September 2023 after being charged with 47 counts of corruption, misappropriation of funds, and breach of trust. Azmi believes that Umno needs fresh leadership options to move away from the traditional approach of letting corruption issues overshadow its leadership.

He emphasized the importance of this matter for Umno and PAS to form a federal government with the support of Borneo-based parties like Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). At the last General Assembly, former UMNO Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin referred to Zahid as a 'prime minister-in-waiting' following the president's remarks at the party's general assembly, likening it to a 'government-in-waiting' that hints at Umno possibly leading the Federal Government after PRU16.

Despite BN currently holding only 30 parliamentary seats, the coalition's perceived readiness to lead the government has grown after their strong victory in the PRN Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections. In Negeri Sembilan, the BN-Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition secured a two-thirds majority by winning 25 out of 36 Dewan Undangan Negeri seats.

Umno now hopes to build on this momentum in the upcoming PRN Melaka, as well as the early 2026 general elections. However, Oh Ei Sun from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs views the 'prime minister-in-waiting' and 'waiting government' narratives as merely a tactic to create momentum, nothing more.