For the first time in a long while now, the country cannot blame Anwar Ibrahim’s machination for a regime change as the sole cause of political, social, and economic instability in Malaysia. This time, Umno is the culprit.

The coup detat within Umno, culminating in two emergency meetings of their supreme council in recent weeks, has virtually ended the political career of the Prime Minister and Umno president Abdullah Badawi. Fortunately for Malaysia, the forced change of leadership at the very top of Umno would occur without resort to the kind of social upheaval that erupted in 1969.

Umno and their partners in the ruling coalition suffered greater losses at the polls in 2008, than they did in 1969. It became apparent immediately after the March 8 general election that Abdullah's position as the Umno president was no longer tenable.