SINGAPORE -- A former archrival of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is testing the waters to gauge popular support for a possible bid for the presidency or deputy presidency of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the country's leading political party.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is aware that the stakes involved for such a contest in May -- which could pit him against either the incumbent president, Mahathir or his nominee for deputy president, Abdullah Badawi -- are extremely high. If he wins, he will be propelled to a position of great power; but defeat would mean political oblivion.
In the tradition of race-based Malaysian politics that has prevailed since the country's independence in 1957, whoever becomes the president of UMNO, the backbone of the multiparty National Front (NF) coalition government, also lays claim to the post of prime minister. The deputy prime minister's position is then occupied by the UMNO deputy president, while key ministerial seats are taken by other UMNO leaders.