Plots hatched to topple Johore MB

JOHORE BARU:  Several plots are being hatched to topple Johore Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman (picture), according to Umno insiders.
They say that two Umno leaders keen to see Ghani replaced is  Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was removed as Johore Menteri Besar in 1995, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Mohammed Khaled Noordin, a classmate of the new Sultan.

Both the Umno federal leaders see Ghani as a stumbling block to numerous business interest groups believed to be associated to them, the insiders alleged.
They also said that  Muhyiddin and Khaled are believed to be the only two  Ministers among all Johore Federal Ministers invited for Thursday’s investiture ceremony of  the new Sultan’s  first son as Tengku Mahkota at Istana Besar.
The order is believed  to have come from the palace, they said.
Umno sources say the late Sultan Iskandar had backed Ghani and until his death refused to entertain Muhyiddin or Khaled’s  overtures for an audience.
According to the sources, both Muhyiddin and Khaled had tried to influence former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to stop the re-appointment of Ghani as Menteri Besar after the 2008 elections by claiming that palace was not in favour of him.
However, when Pak Lah went to see the late Sultan and submit another name, the former Prime Minister’s request was rejected by Sultan Iskandar who wanted Ghani to continue as Menteri Besar, the sources said.
Although at that time the plot to oust Ghani failed, now new plots are  being hatched up by Umno leaders close to the Sultan Ibrahim and to convince Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to make a change in Johore, they said.
Muhyiddin was the Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1995, serving under the late Sultan but in 1995 was pulled back to the federal level by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad  who named  Ghani as Johore MB.
Since then, say the sources, Muhyiddin’s supporters have been manoeuvring to undermine Ghani who had the backing  of the late Sultan and Dr Mahathir and now the support of several  Federal Umno leaders aligned to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
However, the demise of Sultan Iskandar has placed Ghani in a less favourable position with the palace with certain Umno quarters backed by groups with huge business interest in Johore spreading stories of an imminent change to the political hierarchy in the state.
Another Johore Umno faction associated with Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, however, is believe to favour status quo to be maintained in the state, at least till after the next general election,  according to the sources.
They say Najib as Umno president will have his hands full if the  Muhyiddin-Khaled factions decide to influence the palace to push Ghani out of the Menteri Besar’s seat.