THE unthinkable in Malaysian politics has taken place but it is mere wishful thinking if anyone believes that the Prime Minister is now in such a precarious position that he will now be forced to quit soon.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is certainly not in the most ideal position and certainly his image internationally has taken a beating but on the contrary, he has in fact strengthened his grip in the party.

Most analysts who care to read Malaysian politics in a balanced and rational matter would agree that the group would be unable to topple Najib but the group can also cause damage to Barisan Nasional and Umno as they continue to chip away the armour.

It will be naïve if Umno leaders arrogantly dismiss this movement, which is certainly going to make its voice heard.

Yang Razali Kassim, a senior fellow with S. Rajaratnam School of Inter­national Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological in Singapore, aptly wrote that “any misplaced sense of supreme confidence on the part of Umno could, however, backfire” and that “it would be foolhardy to take lightly what the 90-year-old warhorse is now doing, which may well lead to big changes in Malaysian politics”.

He warned of the impact to Barisan and Umno in the next general election, “if Dr Mahathir and his citizens’ movement grow, and the opposition recovers from its disunity”.