Umno's Anwar U-turn leaves BN leaders bracing for backlash

There are growing apprehensions within Barisan Nasional that their leaders' about-turn against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, as seen in Melaka and Negeri Sembilan, might make them potential targets for investigations and criminal charges frequently slapped on critics, three Umno sources, including a former senior minister, told MalaysiaNow.

They referred to the series of corruption charges brought against many critics of the government, including opposition leaders, adding that there are ongoing investigations that could be reactivated and unresolved cases left open involving Umno and MIC leaders.

"These cases seem to have been deliberately left open despite hard and cold evidence discovered against them by MACC," one Umno leader told MalaysiaNow, referring to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

"Many opposition leaders and MPs were made targets of investigations, resulting in some of them capitulating to support the government. Consider what such investigations can do to Umno leaders to bring them back in line," said the former MP.

Another source said the fate of former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who was subjected to a MACC probe as he increased his criticism against Anwar, shows what is in store for Umno leaders for "betraying the unity government".

"Even though the top leaders are to blame for the break-up, the price will be paid by those BN leaders who do not have positions in the government. It is like 'pukul anak sindir menantu'," the source added, using a Malay proverb that means venting frustration through a third party to send a message to the actual target.

MalaysiaNow has not been able to confirm if there are indications of any new investigations being launched against BN politicians, or if there would be prosecutions from unresolved investigations.

"They are merely speculations. We do not deal with corruption cases based on the political climate," said a senior MACC officer who declined to be identified.

Simmering tensions between BN leaders and PH have contributed to a breakdown of their coalition governments in Negeri Sembilan and Johor, resulting in the two states going to the polls where both parties will contest against each other as in the 2022 general election.

With expectations of the fallout being replicated in other states and ultimately at the federal level, many see Anwar and his PH coalition hard-pressed for Malay votes – critical in forming the government – if the general election is inevitably called.

While there have been other criminal charges brought against government opponents, it is MACC which has been at the centre of allegations of political interference, especially under its former chief Azam Baki, whose tenure under different administrations saw the agency going after government critics and opposition politicians. 

"In the past, Azam and MACC were conveniently used to ensure loyalty. Now it remains to be seen if corruption probes can still act as a weapon to force people to toe the line," said the first source.

Such investigations were most pronounced since 2023, when scores of opposition leaders were subjected to corruption probes, including former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former finance minister, the late Daim Zainuddin.

In 2024, Bloomberg cited sources within MACC alleging that Anwar had interfered in the affairs of the anti-graft body and directed Azam to investigate political rivals, while sparing his former political aide Farhash Wafa Salvador.

The claim is not new, and has been festering for months. Many have accused Anwar of resurrecting the old playbook of using enforcement agencies to hit back at critics in order to consolidate power, while rewarding those who toe the line.

Critics have long linked a series of acquittals and discontinuance of investigations involving individuals tied to Umno to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's decision to embrace Anwar's Pakatan Harapan in the aftermath of the 2022 general election, allowing the PKR president to finally fulfil his prime ministerial ambition.

The most prominent among them is Zahid himself, whose 47 charges of corruption were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) by the Attorney-General's Chambers despite the court finding a prima facie case for trial, sparking renewed debate on the prime minister's powers to appoint the attorney-general.

Earlier this year, the 47 charges against the Umno chief were dropped altogether.

Late last year, the AG withdrew its appeal against a High Court decision to acquit the wife of jailed leader Najib Razak, Rosmah Mansor, of 17 money laundering and tax evasion charges.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Ismail Sabri became embroiled in a money laundering investigation shortly after he questioned the transparency of Najib's royal pardon bid and the government's refusal to acknowledge a royal order allowing the former Umno president to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.

The investigation into Ismail led to raids on properties and "safe houses", with authorities uncovering about RM177 million in various currencies and 16 kg of gold bars.

Ismail did not challenge the forfeiture by MACC, and the seized funds were subsequently transferred to government coffers. Despite the scale of the seizure, the AG has yet to bring charges.

More recently, there has been intense speculation that a former minister from MIC, the BN component party uneasy with the current government, is the target of an investigation into the embezzlement of funds related to the government's compulsory workers' insurance scheme, Socso.

Details of the investigation have increasingly emerged in recent weeks, even though it was launched more than four years ago, when M Saravanan, then MIC deputy president, was the human resources minister under Ismail's administration.

Despite his party being part of Anwar's administration, Saravanan has frequently criticised the prime minister and has even called for BN to withdraw from the coalition.

Now, with BN clearly heading down a path that could cost PH the crucial support needed to remain in power, Anwar may be tempted to use a carrot-and- stick approach to remind adversaries of what's at stake.

"Whether the carrot-and-stick approach will work remains to be seen. But for now, the concerns are real, especially for cases that are never concluded," said an Umno MP.