I refer to the Malaysiakini article An epic battle of three men. The epic is not really about the three men.

This is a brilliant analysis that peels off the facade of a strong Umno, to reveal possible rogues within the home affairs ministry and the public prosecutor's office. It homes in on a group that deflects blames and damages to Umno but tries hard to stay below the radar screen of public opinion.

Too many commentators are still focusing their wrath on hapless Umno politicians for recent ministerial and law enforcement mistakes.

But there are so many self-defeating bungles by Umno personalities that their antics have become anomalies. Umno politicians keep shooting their own feet! Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar was made to look like a fool on his ‘intelligence’ about non-existent protest and opposition meetings.

He also appeared clueless about the Hindraf chairperson's passport status for a while, and only recently and sneakily admitted that his ministry did give an order but did not carry through (or did a reverse?) the oder to revoke the Hindraf chairperson's passport.

The bitter ISA treatment of Hindraf leaders remains overwhelmingly counterproductive to BN's reputation.

We have the incredible deja vu of a sodomy accusation against Anwar, the provocative arrest, and redundant demands for a DNA sample - all of which only stir up bad press around the world for the Umno-led government.

The PM and home minister were misled by subordinates to constantly make prejudicial comments on Anwar and a biased defence of flawed law enforcement procedures - shredding their own credibility.

A private investigator's relieved-turned-fearful statutory declarations managed to maximise public suspicion of high government officials, the attorney-general and the police - but eventually the blame sticks only on Umno politicians.

Too many anomalies; something else must be going on. Surely our PM, the home minister and Umno MPs cannot be that dumb. To me, Umno increasingly looks like a fellow victim of conspiracy and sabotage, accompanying brother Anwar.

Still the people blame Umno because they assume Umno is the only center of power. But Umno has been severely weakened by its untenable racist and protectionist policies, ideological implosion, internal squabbles, the March 8 election, and probably many skeletons in many individual closets.

So where could be the alternative power base? Just think who would need to weaken Umno's credibility and legitimacy to fight for their own political and career survival, avoid jail time, and perhaps become king-maker?

Let's not forget that the PM is a weak gentleman who cannot clamp down on big-fish corruption. Let's not forget that the bumbling Syed Hamid is new as the head of his ministry. They may not be in control of some security apparatus.

Let's not forget the home affairs ministry is the most powerful ministry in the country, overseeing the corrupted Immigration Department, the useful Prisons Department, the police, the Special Branch, Rela, the National Registration Department (whose control over ICs means control over voter registration and immigrant naturalisation including in Sabah) the Registrar of Societies - every institution you need to worry about.

Are we even sure such a powerful ministry should exist as a single ministry in the future? I'm not saying everyone in that ministry is corrupted. But the recent arrests of immigration top officials may only be the tip of the ice berg.

Lest anyone has any doubt about the extreme evil that some rogue elements in our law enforcement branch would go to in order to nail Anwar, we should revisit the chilling statutory declaration by Dr. Munawar Anees, scholar and one-time Anwar speech writer.

But be forewarned that the 10-year-old statutory declaration is verbally explicit, shocking, and still very upsetting. None of those perpetrators have been punished.

Had the PM forced through the implementation of IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission) undiluted, this investigation into Anwar will be infinitely more credible to the public. Somehow he was not able to.

The new Anwar case reminds us we need to implement the IPCMC now. Better late than never. There's no expiry date on the royal commission's recommendations. Umno MPs can help to push through the IPCMC.

Umno MPs and supporters who care about the party's survival should take note and support the PM's attempt to peel away at the corrupted layers within the home ministry and other public offices. The PM has started with the immigration office.

Will he get support from Umno to go far enough? Or will Umno MPs and grassroot freeze and watch Umno being destroyed?

Just giving ACA prosecuting power is not enough, and can be easily reversed. In a counter- intuitive move, Umno leaders and grassroots should support placing the ACA under the parliament as a way to save Umno.

With the law enforcement branch, the attorney-general's office and judiciary under a cloud of suspicion of being ethically compromised, the ACA is the last institution that can be quickly strengthened to take on the crucial task of housecleaning. Do this before it is too late.

Although individual Umno MPs may have his or her own skeleton in the closet to worry about reprisal, together they may be able to overcome any hijacker and saboteur who are pulling Umno down the drain.

The dangers to Umno are leadership and reform paralysis, the utter loss of legitimacy, the destruction of the party, and the loss of the wealth that Umno has helped to create in the past.

The danger to the rest of Malaysia is the same. In this matter, our interests are aligned with Umno's.