Umno deputy president aspirant Muhammad Muhd Taib has no intention of withdrawing from the contest which will unravel next week.

umno supreme council special meeting 260809 muhammad mohd taib The rural development minister and Umno information chief also dismissed the speculation that he is being coaxed into pulling out.

"There is no such thing," he told Malaysiakini via SMS.

His denial comes amid reports that those aligned to incoming premier Najib Abdul Razak are moving on the ground to diffuse the anger in the wake of the Umno disciplinary committee's decision to bar Mohd Ali Rustam from contesting for the number two slot.

The unceremonious exit of Mohd Ali does not mean that the path to victory has been cleared for the 'preferred candidate' Muhyiddin Yassin.

muhyiddin yassin and najib and umno And this has got the Najib-Muhyiddin camp a little worried.

Muhammad's prospects are definitely brighter now, an Umno observer told Malaysiakini . "Some are even rating the odds as 50-50."

Certain quarters alleged that Mohd Ali was deliberately persecuted to ensure victory for Muhyiddin, but some warned that the move could backfire.

Both Najib and Muhyiddin have since denied co-authoring a conspiracy to deal a fatal blow to the chief minister's political aspirations.

Shifting of support

Speculation is rife that with Mohd Ali out of the race, the other contender from the 'Abdullah Ahmad Badawi camp' might just end up staging an upset.

ali rustam interview 281008 03 "Prior to being barred, Mohd Ali was in the lead, commanding more than 50 percent of the votes, with Muhyiddin (35 percent) and Muhammad (10 percent).

"So if Mohd Ali fails in his appeal (against the disciplinary committee's decision), it is likely that the support for him will shift to Muhammad, leading to a possible victory," said the observer.

On the same note, the observer said Muhyiddin could win but with a margin so small that it would be nothing short of an embarrassment and a tell-tale sign of the sentiments of Umno delegates.

This would also not bode well for Najib since the premier-to-be would be inheriting an "even more fractured party" just days before three crucial by-elections.

Whatever the case, fireworks are guaranteed at the Umno annual general assembly with rumours of boycotts and protests already making the rounds.