Datuk Seri Najib Razak looked unusually relaxed as he sat through the royal banquet at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar two nights ago.
The prime minister and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, had flown in just for the occasion in the royal town in conjunction with the birthday celebration of Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah as the new Sultan of Perak.
Najib chatted away with Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, who sat next to him, as veteran Indonesian singer Hetty Koes Endang belted out her familiar numbers and guests savoured rib-eye steak and mushroom soup.
Politically, it has been a wild roller-coaster ride for Najib for the past 11 months, navigating the nation through tough economic conditions and dealing with outspoken critics, such as former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who have stridently called for his ouster over issues such as 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
But things have now turned for the better, with Najib’s premiership looking much more secure after staving off the political assault by Dr Mahathir, his former mentor turned bitter rival.
His rivals might have underestimated Najib’s political mettle and his strong hold on Umno. He is not a known street fighter. He seldom makes rash decisions. But his political longevity is not something that has gone untested.
After narrowly retaining his Pekan parliamentary seat in 1999, he knew that in politics, you couldn’t take things for granted. You have to work harder even though you have the advantage of incumbency.
Events in recent weeks have been a big help in cementing Najib’s political fortunes. The Asean Summit, the sale of 1MDB energy assets to a China-led group, and stronger ringgit and share prices have helped improve sentiment.
Malaysia watchers say with the successful hosting of the 27th Asean Summit and Related Summits, Najib’s popular rating has gone some notches higher, with the man now determined to strengthen his hold on power.
The strong turnout of global leaders, including United States President Barack Obama, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Med-vedev, in Kuala Lumpur has helped boost Najib’s diplomatic skills and his efforts in selling Malaysia as a strategic and moderate Islamic nation.
Writer Amy Chew wrote in Hong Kong’s respected South China Morning Post (SCMP) last week that, for the past six months, Najib has been battling corruption allegations, strident calls for him to step down from Dr Mahathir and a slowing economy, which “many thought would deal him a knockout blow”.
But the 62-year-old Najib has defied all predictions of his ouster and his grip on power seems to be growing stronger. Analysts and even some opposition figures expect him to last until the next general election in 2018, she wrote.
“Najib is in a position of strength because everyone else contesting his leadership is in a position of weakness... the opposition is, for a lack of a better word, incoherent in its political posture,” the SCMP quoted Abdillah Noh, deputy dean at the Razak School of Government, as saying.
Malaysian shares and the ringgit rose for the second consecutive week last week, as sentiment improved on the back of an oil price rebound and sale of the 1MDB power assets.
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI index gained 1.2 per cent last week, its biggest weekly advance in nearly two months. It has fallen 4.5 per cent in
2015 so far.
“1MDB’s sale of its energy assets is supporting domestic sentiment,” Bloomberg quoted Christopher Wong, a Singapore-based senior currency analyst at Malayan Banking Bhd, as saying. “Oil prices, which have seen relative stability above US$40 (RM170) in the past week, are also a driver of those gains.”
After nearly two weeks of international diplomacy, attending the G20, Apec and Asean summits, Najib has now firmly set his eyes on the domestic agenda, dealing with Umno ahead of the closely-watched party annual general assembly from Dec 8 to 12.
All eyes will be on the Umno president as he takes to the rostrum to deliver his keynote address on Dec 10. It will be Najib’s big moment where he will rally party stalwarts to prepare for the next biggest test — the 14th General Election, due by 2018.
The policymaking Umno supreme council, which met last week, set the tone of the assembly and decided to break with tradition by not having the deputy president officiate at the joint opening of the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings.
The supreme council had arrived at the decision based on the suggestion of the wing leaders, and to ensure a positive and good atmosphere.
Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who lost his job as deputy prime minister in July and who did not attend the meeting, has fired back, saying the move was aimed at silencing him.
All the indications are that the Umno leadership is not likely to take dissent and insubordination within the party lightly.
Umno leaders, from within and outside the cabinet, must ensure they deliver when it matters the most. Keeping the party intact and united in the run-up to the general election is of utmost importance.
Much is at stake, and Umno, being the backbone of the Barisan Nasional government and the champion of the Malays, must emerge from any internal squabbling much stronger and in better shape.
The writer is NSTP group managing editor