Was Mahiaddin pulling a Mahathir stunt?

Was Mahiaddin pulling a Mahathir stunt in an attempt to assess his strength as president?

That is the question that crossed my mind while following the annual general meeting in the past 48 hours.

On the first day, he announced that he would not defend his presidency. The rejection to his announcement by the party’s rank and file then led him to do a U-turn.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad had done something similar during his days as Umno president had pulled almost a similar stunt.

It is not something out of the world if Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin chose to do so. After all Mahathir backed Mahiaddin against another former prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Both were also the founding leaders of Bersatu before they had a fall out. Political circumstances has gotten both of them on the same page now.

On the other side of the coin, this successful stunt has taken away the limelight of the two factions who are gunning for the top spot in the party.

It is an open secret that party secretary general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin who is also Opposition Leader and Larut MP harbours a dream to lead the party.

The same can be said of the appointed supreme council member Datuk Seri Azmin Ali who is also Selangor Opposition Leader.

Both Hamzah and Azmin brought members into Bersatu. Hamzah brought in the Umno faction whereas Azmin, the PKR faction.

However with Azmin not having a position in parliament the spotlight for him has dimmed.

The biggest winner in this AGM is probably deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

His political shelf life has been extended despite being lost in the political jungle without positions in public office.