COMMENT | How Najib, Rosmah will affect GE15 plans

COMMENT | Whichever way one looks at it and whatever spin one puts on it, the jailing of Najib Abdul Razak and the avowed support he got from top Umno leaders, including clamours of a pardon, must be negative for BN and Umno in the forthcoming 15th general elections whenever they may be held between now and September next year.

The finding of the court yesterday that Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor was guilty of all charges related to the RM1.25 billion solar power project further reinforces the negativity without any doubt.

Both the Umno prime minister then and his wife have been found guilty of corruption charges, and a slew of other Umno top leaders, many of whom are publicly clamouring for Najib to be pardoned, face charges. These must surely be negative for Umno.

The question is by how much and whether it is enough to tip the balance in favour of the Pakatan Harapan coalition again so that they come up on top. That would be difficult to answer but indications are in favour of a hung parliament with no group coming out a clear victor.

Umno, fresh from victories in Malacca and Johor, is confident it can gain power but the voting pattern in these two states indicates that no one coalition has a clear majority and the results are not likely to be fully mirrored at GE15.

There are now three clear coalitions dominating Malaysian politics and all MPs and state assemblypersons are likely to be from one of these three coalitions...