KUALA LUMPUR: Should Umno decide against putting its top two posts to a contest in next year's party polls, it could affect the credibility of the unity government, especially since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has the reputation of being a reformist.
Experts said Anwar, having led Pakatan Harapan (PH) on a reformist platform for over two decades, would indirectly be affected if some people within his federal government ignore democratic processes in their respective parties.
Universiti Malaya political analyst Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said Umno should not delay the contest for its president and deputy president after having already postponed it once.
"It will hurt PH's image since all this while, the pact has been fighting to restore democracy at all institutional levels, be it in Malaysian politics or among its component parties.
"In fact, the PH chairman (Anwar) is a known political reform figure and therefore, any undemocratic actions taken by political parties within his government would go against his values.
"Umno had already postponed its party election once, with the reason given being that party members could focus on the 15th General Election (GE15).
"Now that GE15 is over, it is the best time to celebrate democracy in Umno. Stop making excuses and don't be afraid to face party members," he told the New Straits Times.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Azmi Hassan said Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputy Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan have nothing to fear since their positions in the party are cemented by their respective cabinet posts.
He said although not allowing the two posts to be contested could prevent infighting, other critical issues would crop up, such as party leaders and members questioning Zahid's legitimacy as the party president.
"Hypothetically, if all other positions are filled by those who are anti-Zahid, the president will face the difficult task of controlling the party.
"It's best to let the two top posts be contested so that the legitimacy of Zahid as party president can be resolved. Or else, his and Mohamad's legitimacy will always be questioned.
"Opening the contest for the two posts will not only be good for Umno but also PH and the Unity Government," he said.
Tawfik said the Umno supreme council must make a decision soon on the matter to prevent the issue from being used as a political tool by its own members as well as detractors.
He said since Umno has promised political stability in the country, this promise should be followed through with the party practicing what it preached.
"Decide soon because the party needs stability and if Umno can't make this happen, it could affect PH's position at both federal and state levels.
"Besides, this would give Umno's opponents a bullet to attack the party and the unity government. People will start labelling them with various names and it could lead to Umno's downfall."
Azmi pointed out that if the two top posts were contested, Zahid and Mohamad would likely remain in their respective positions since there were no strong contenders to challenge them.
Unlike in 2018 when former Rembau member of parliament Khairy Jamaluddin and former Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenged Zahid for the presidency, Azmi said the duo no longer enjoy strong grassroots support after losing in GE15.
"No one in Umno would want to challenge Zahid and Mohamad especially since they are the deputy prime minister and defence minister, respectively.
"Besides, characters such as Khairy, Tengku Razaleigh, (former prime minister) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri and (former Ketereh MP) Tan Sri Annuar Musa (who has been sacked from the party) no longer pose a threat to Zahid and Mohamad.
"The most capable person to challenge Zahid is Khairy but he is no longer an MP or a minister. Zahid's and Mohamad's influence in the government will determine the outcome of Umno internal polls."
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan had said on Monday no decision has been made yet on whether the top two posts would be contested in the upcoming party polls.
He had said the supreme council would decide on the matter, perhaps during a meeting on Jan 12.
The 2022 Umno general assembly would be held from Jan 11 to 14, 2023. It was postponed from the earlier scheduled Dec 21 to 24 this year.
So far, the date for the Umno party election has yet to be announced.
