TAN SRI ISA SAMAD - WELCOME BACK TO UMNO

The decision by UMNO Supreme Council to reinstate Tan Sri Isa Samad to UMNO may raise a spectre to some aspirants to the top party posts in the coming party elections. Being a veteran politician who has gone through various challenges and many party upheavals, his emergence into UMNO, at a time when the party is in turmoil and gravely battered from the 8 March general elections, is likely to be welcomed by most of his associates and loyal supporters within the party.

As a former Menteri Besar, Minister and Vice President, he surely has supporters who would like to see him back at the top helm of the party. With the weakened leadership of Pak Lah, and the growing animosity among grass root members over who should best lead the party, Tan Sri Isa Samad's role as a moderator to minimise dissensions within the party before the party general assembly,is very much sought after. Whether Tan Sri Isa Samad will accept and want to play the aforesaid role is very much left to him to decide.

I suppose, Tan Sri Isa Samad is well aware of the difficulties facing Pak Lah's leadership today, and the possibility of a challenge to his Presidency by YM Tengku Razaleigh and YB Mahyuddin Yasin. A three cornered fight for this top party post, if it does materialise, is unprecedented in UMNO politics. And should YAB Dato Seri Najib decides to throw in his challenge, this will definitely cause a split and factional infighting within the party, that serves only to weakened the party, and the Malays left to aggrieve further. Under this circumstance, Pak Lah will obviously need the support of some old hands, to reposition himself and heighten his popularity. Surely, Pak Lah will be looking at Tan Sri Isa Samad.

The UMNO general assembly is just around the corner, and the jockeying for positions and favours among aspirants for top party posts has been heard (though not too obvious). It will be interesting to watch the position taken by Tan Sri Isa Samad from now till the general assembly, and to which 'faction' will he align himself. Or will he himself decides to join the fray?