Tengku Zafrul as Selangor BN treasurer seen as risky move
Some key Umno members were among Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s critics. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Umno seems to have taken a gamble in deciding to appoint Tengku Zafrul Aziz as Selangor Barisan Nasional’s new treasurer.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the finance minister came under much criticism, including by several key Umno leaders, for promoting policies seen as being out of tune with the needs of the man on the street.
He received flak for apparently failing to do enough to push through an automatic loan moratorium last year and was derided after initially denying Employees Provident Fund members from getting a fourth withdrawal from their pension fund.
Political analyst Anantha Raman Govindasamy of Universiti Malaysia Sabah told FMT he believed Umno made a top-down rather than a grassroots decision in appointing Tengku Zafrul to the Selangor post.
“Umno has nothing to lose, and it seems to be trying its luck to see what happens next,” he said.
“Tengku Zafrul definitely had some unpopular policies. So we just need to wait and see how Umno tries to repackage him, rebuild his image and sell him to the grassroots.
“I think he will be repackaged in such a way that he will be seen as one of the clear candidates to help Umno take over Selangor. I don’t see the party having any other candidate for potential menteri besar.”
Another analyst, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said Tengku Zafrul might not gain the kind of support from Umno’s grassroots that the party’s top guns would have been hoping for when they announced his appointment.
He said many Umno supporters are “rather parochial or clannish” and would prefer “local boys as candidates, regardless of qualifications or achievements”.
But Oh also spoke of an “almost uniquely Malay ability to spontaneously unite” when faced with a common enemy or when at “the verge of losing power”.
“Never underestimate this,” he said.
Two other analysts told FMT they believed the finance minister would have the desired effect on the party’s grassroots.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Umno members wanted someone fresh.
“Umno’s grassroots don’t want another warlord who has too much power,” he said. “They want someone who is not too involved in politics, is not controversial and can bring new ideas.”
Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir praised Tengku Zafrul for his “strong brand” and “clean record” and said he was confident he would have a positive effect on his party.
He dismissed suggestions that the criticism Tengku Zafrul faced over his unpopular policies would cast him in a bad light with the Umno grassroots.
“I think he has his justification in whatever decision he has made,” he said. “His decisions have been for the good of the nation. They were not for his personal gain.
“Although he allowed the fourth EPF withdrawal after pressure from the public, he is not a populist. And we shouldn’t have a populist approach to handling the country.”
Tengku Zafrul, whose membership in Umno was confirmed only last May, was appointed Selangor BN’s new treasurer on Sunday after previously downplaying his political ambitions.
His appointment was announced by Selangor BN chairman Noh Omar at the coalition’s Selangor convention, where he received a warm welcome when he arrived.
The talk is that he intends to contest for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat in the next general election.
PETALING JAYA: Umno seems to have taken a gamble in deciding to appoint Tengku Zafrul Aziz as Selangor Barisan Nasional’s new treasurer.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the finance minister came under much criticism, including by several key Umno leaders, for promoting policies seen as being out of tune with the needs of the man on the street.
He received flak for apparently failing to do enough to push through an automatic loan moratorium last year and was derided after initially denying Employees Provident Fund members from getting a fourth withdrawal from their pension fund.
Political analyst Anantha Raman Govindasamy of Universiti Malaysia Sabah told FMT he believed Umno made a top-down rather than a grassroots decision in appointing Tengku Zafrul to the Selangor post.
“Umno has nothing to lose, and it seems to be trying its luck to see what happens next,” he said.
“Tengku Zafrul definitely had some unpopular policies. So we just need to wait and see how Umno tries to repackage him, rebuild his image and sell him to the grassroots.
“I think he will be repackaged in such a way that he will be seen as one of the clear candidates to help Umno take over Selangor. I don’t see the party having any other candidate for potential menteri besar.”
Another analyst, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said Tengku Zafrul might not gain the kind of support from Umno’s grassroots that the party’s top guns would have been hoping for when they announced his appointment.
He said many Umno supporters are “rather parochial or clannish” and would prefer “local boys as candidates, regardless of qualifications or achievements”.
But Oh also spoke of an “almost uniquely Malay ability to spontaneously unite” when faced with a common enemy or when at “the verge of losing power”.
“Never underestimate this,” he said.
Two other analysts told FMT they believed the finance minister would have the desired effect on the party’s grassroots.
Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said Umno members wanted someone fresh.
“Umno’s grassroots don’t want another warlord who has too much power,” he said. “They want someone who is not too involved in politics, is not controversial and can bring new ideas.”
Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir praised Tengku Zafrul for his “strong brand” and “clean record” and said he was confident he would have a positive effect on his party.
He dismissed suggestions that the criticism Tengku Zafrul faced over his unpopular policies would cast him in a bad light with the Umno grassroots.
“I think he has his justification in whatever decision he has made,” he said. “His decisions have been for the good of the nation. They were not for his personal gain.
“Although he allowed the fourth EPF withdrawal after pressure from the public, he is not a populist. And we shouldn’t have a populist approach to handling the country.”
Tengku Zafrul, whose membership in Umno was confirmed only last May, was appointed Selangor BN’s new treasurer on Sunday after previously downplaying his political ambitions.
His appointment was announced by Selangor BN chairman Noh Omar at the coalition’s Selangor convention, where he received a warm welcome when he arrived.
The talk is that he intends to contest for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat in the next general election.
No comments:
Post a Comment