Replacing ‘Raja Idris’ with ‘Plain’ Ahmad

[For obvious reasons, I am going to blog this entry by being mindful of the defamation laws, sedition act as well as the treason act.]

According to sources today PM met with the king, who is also the sultan of terengganu, to talk about the menteri besar issue in terengganu.

PM wanted to stress to the king as to why his man Idris Jusoh (IJ) should continue to be the MB. Apparently the king was not interested to hear anything and told PM to have a meeting instead with the royalty’s chosen candidate, Ahmad Said who had assumed office yesterday.

It seems that the PM even put forward a third person as a neutral candidate but the king was adamant of having his man in place. For all it seems, it looks like the PM had to backdown and let the terengganu palace has its way.

The PM also met with IJ and it seems it was a fruitful meeting, according to people close to IJ.

Whatever it is, the matter will be clearer after the Umno supreme council meeting tomorrow when the party is to decide if they want to sack Ahmad.

If they do, then the sign is clear that Umno is ready to battle it out with the terengganu palace. But if they back Ahmad for the post, then we know it is the palace that has won. As a compromise Umno might allow IJ to continue being the party's state chief. The palace has no say in this.

So why is the sultan so against IJ?

Many sources say it has to do with the manner he has been channelling the RM1 billion Petronas wang ehsan in favour of the Putrajaya-backed mega projects (read: monsoon cup, the islam hadhari village and the crystal mosque among others) and not to help alleviate poverty in the state.

Apart from that, it is the issue of IJ being a small-time Raja in the state by not paying any attention to the 11-year-old regent, his advisory council or his father who works as the king in KL. Apparently many religious (Islamic) projects were approved by the MB without consultation with the palace.

And then we have the issue of the Umno-led state administration making a mockery of democracy by using the police to forcibly remove people in Batu Buruk last year and in Marang on election day. Apparently the sultan was upset with the manner democracy was abused on those two days by the Idris government.

And the finally, it seems (I repeat IT SEEMS) the sultan is also unhappy that outside power brokers (Putrajaya fourth floor, Patrick Badawi and others) and IJ are making tonnes of money in the state via mega projects and the sultan feels left out, unlike in other states where his fellow brothers enjoy a good business patronage.

Thus the idea that is being floated is that by removing IJ, the sultan can ensure that wang ehsan is distributed equally to everyone in the state; people would be treated with respect by the police and the Umno politicians; mega projects that have no beneficiary to the state can be stopped; the sultan, his son and the advisory council will be made to be more useful; and finally, the palace coffers will be full again!

Now you get it as to why all the fuss about replacing ‘raja’ Idris with the ‘plain’ Ahmad?

It is in this game that PM has fallen in, either to protect his own financial or political interest, or to stand firm against a royalty who is keen to get back what he has lost by taking Putrajaya for a ride.