Ex-leader's son in focus as Malaysia ruling party votes
AFP
October 19, 2013, 8:21 pm
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Malaysia's ruling party held elections Saturday with the son of former strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad seeking a top post that could put him on the fast-track to future national leadership.
Prime Minister Najib Razak is unopposed as president of the powerful United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), giving him more time to deliver on his cautious pledges to reform a party confronted by ebbing support after dominating Malaysia for 56 years.
But political observers say Najib's reform plans face increasing resistance from conservatives, and that the contests for three vice presidential slots could indicate who has the upper hand.
All eyes are now on Mukhriz Mahathir, 48, a rising political star who is running for party vice president and whom analysts expect will seek to protect his conservative father's legacy.
"(UMNO conservatives) will vote not so much for Mukhriz but for his father, whom they see as representing the sentiments of the UMNO right-wing," said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
A win by Mukhriz could signal a tough road for Najib's reform agenda, he said.
"Najib would be spending most of his time guarding his position (from conservatives), which will be under subtle but solid attack," he said.
Mahathir, now 88 and retired, is revered by many in the Muslim Malay ethnic majority for championing their rights and overseeing rapid economic growth during his iron-fisted 1981-2003 tenure.
But he is loathed by opponents who accuse him of trampling civil rights and continuing to stir the politics of racial division after his supposed retirement.
Mukhriz, whose appointment as chief minister of Mahathir's home state of Kedah in May boosted speculation about his future, has been much less divisive.
He has said UMNO must transform to remain relevant to voters, but is believed to remain popular with right-wingers due to his pedigree and espousing of Malay interests.
Analysts have speculated a political deal could be in the works, with Mahathir and his conservative backers pushing for a promise that Mukhriz be made prime minister one day.
"His father is still very influential in UMNO. If he fails to win (on Saturday), he still has time to build up his career," said Azizuddin Sani, an associate professor at Universiti Utara Malaysia.
The Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition, through which UMNO rules, has been winning elections by diminishing margins as voters tire of its race-based politics and authoritarian rule.
In particular, the sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities are increasingly resentful of UMNO's decades-old practice of giving Malays advantages in education, housing, and economic opportunities.
The policies also are viewed by many economists as hindering national competitiveness.
Najib, now 60 and in office since 2009, has responded by positioning himself as a political and economic reformer.
But he has already backtracked on some key reform moves disliked by conservatives and is seen as under heightened pressure following May elections, in which Barisan was returned to power but put in its worst polls showing ever.
Last month, he announced fresh measures to benefit Malays despite an earlier pledge to reform the controversial affirmative action policy. His government also recently reinstated detention without trial.
A total of 146,500 party delegates were eligible to vote Saturday. Results were expected late in the evening.
Hardline Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is expected to be re-elected as an UMNO vice-president, with other posts considered too close to call.
