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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The party that has ruled Malaysia for more than 60 years up to the humiliating defeat associated with the 1MDB scandal has chosen a new leader to replace the former prime minister
Najib Razak
and to rebuild support among the ethnic Muslim majority of Malaysia.
The choice of
Zahid Hamidi,
The 65-year-old new president of the United Malaysian National Organization voted Saturday night to head party leaders and represents a right turn to rebuild a Malaysian support base that has fragmented these recent years in favor of Islamist and multiethnic parties. "Zahid will move the party to the right and try to capture the space with the PAS," said James Chin, a Malaysian analyst who heads the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania. "Zahid will double Malaysian issues to appeal to right-wing Malay groups."
The result represents a hardening of ethnic politics in this country of Southeast Asia between the conservatives of the Malay community and a multiethnic coalition of Malaysian liberals and minorities that was ruled by the government. former Leader of the Opposition
Anwar Ibrahim,
who should succeed Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister in two years.
"People hope that UMNO will continue to fight for the interests of religion, race and homeland," Zahid said. his victory.
Malay Muslims make up nearly 70% of the country's 28 million inhabitants, according to the 2010 census, with the Chinese accounting for 23% of the population and the Indians 7%
. Zahid easily defeated an ambush of other candidates who have a more conciliatory tone and promised to reform the party after the scandal involving the state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd, a central point of rejection by the electorate of the corruption that propelled the opposition to victory. The fund is under investigation in several countries over missing funds that US investigators have estimated at $ 4.5 billion.
million. Najib appointed Deputy Prime Minister Zahid in 2015 in a purge of party officials and officials who called for an in-depth investigation of 1MDB, which he founded in 2009. Mr. Najib and 1MDB have denied any wrongdoing in the 1MDB case. Investigations conducted by Malaysia while he was in power have laundered.
Investigations have grown since Mr. Najib lost his position. Police said last week that she was planning to interrogate Mr. Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, after announcing that items seized from residences related to them, including some 12,000 jewels, were being valued. about $ 274 million. They had 567 handbags, 423 watches and 234 pairs of designer sunglasses.
The party was central to all governments since the independence of Britain in 1957, governing with parties rooted in Chinese and Indian ethnic minorities. But allied parties were crushed in the 2013 elections as younger and more urban voters deserted the so-called Front National coalition. In May, the rout reached UMNO despite last minute efforts to redraw the districts in its favor.
In a contest between the party's 165,000-member divisions, Mr. Zahid won the support of 99 divisional leaders. His closest rival, 42-year-old Khairy Jamaluddin, who headed the youth wing of the party, was far behind with 61.
The result "means that UMNO will probably not mimic [the new governing coalition’s] ] a more liberal position when it comes to pursuing multicultural activities.The policy, "said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the independent polling company Merdeka Center.
Authorities announced Friday that UMNO's bank accounts were frozen in their 1MDB investigation. Zahid said on Saturday that the party had asked the Malaysian anti-corruption commission to allow him to use part of the funds.
"The UMNO will have trouble recovering the voters who turned against it," said Ibrahim. "It depends if Zahid, now that he has won, will now be able to distance himself from Najib and chart his own path from that point."
Write to Yantoultra Ngui at yantoultra.ngui @ wsj.com
