Editor’s Note: We have just added Defence Minister UMNO deputy presidentDatuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
AS the Turun Anwar rally gathers steam – and bound to happen this afternoon (July 26) – a familiar question reverberates: if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim were to step down as Prime Minister, who exactly is ready to take over?
To be clear, Anwar remains firmly in power with no signs from within the Madani government that a change is imminent. But this is Malaysia. Stranger things have happened. So let’s entertain the hypothetical.
Here are few names that could be in the running should the seat in Putrajaya suddenly become vacant. They are in no particular order.
Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi: Decades-long PMX’s buddy
Despite UMNO’s worst showing in the country’s general election history, it remains mind-boggling till today as to how the UMNO president who used to chant the “No DAP, No Anwar” mantra could change his stance overnight when offered the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) post.
Never mind that the UMNO grassroots are still furious over today’s “UMDAP” alliance, the fact remains that both the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and PMX have all these while remain close friends (both were student activists during their Universiti Malaya days) despite been politically distant.
Now that their friendship has come full circle, nobody can rule out Zahid is a potential PMX successor.
What can perhaps hold him back is his tainted track record of 47 prima facie graft-linked court charges despite been granted DNAA (discharge not amounting to acquittal).
Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan: Playing the waiting game
A former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar with gentlemanly appeal, the Defence Minister and Rembau MP is often floated as UMNO’s post-Zahid hope.
Polished, pragmatic and relatively untainted, Tok Mat offers a more palatable brand of Malay leadership.
But he lacks grassroots appeal and has to contend with Zahid who’d spare no expenses clipping the wings of any UMNO subordinate trying to step over the party president.
Nurul Izzah Anwar: The reformist princess
As No 2 in the ruling PKR, logically the baton should be passed to her. She has the pedigree, the charisma and the reformist brand once associated with her father.
But for all her strengths, Nurul Izzah lacks a current parliamentary seat, hence a by-election needs to be triggered in order for her to take over.
Under the present climate, this is highly unlikely to take place. Besides, Nurul Izzah who has lost in her ancestral Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat during the 2022 national polls had never served as a minister all her life, therefore lacks administrative experience.
Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli: The Formula King
The Pandan MP once lit up the opposition with his firebrand exposés and policy wonkiness through his “formulas”.
But during his tenure as economy minister, he was stuck explaining subsidy rationalisation and inflation figures to a public with little patience, thus leading to a drastic dip in his approval ratings dipped.
But his May 23 ouster as the incumbent PKR deputy president in the party’s central leadership polls by Nurul Izzah won him many sympathy votes although this has also split PKR into two factions – the pro-Nurul Izzah’s Damai and Rafizi’s very own, Hiruk.
Nevertheless, Rafizi’s voluntary resignation from his mistrial portfolio following his defeat has boosted his public ratings coupled with his criticisms against the Madani administration such as calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the judiciary.
But whether that translates into mass support is another story.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin: The comeback Abah
He’s been there, done that. As Malaysia’s eighth PM, the Pagoh MP offered steady hands during the pandemic but left office with unresolved legitimacy issues.
He is currently the commander-in-chief of Perikatan Nasional (PN) although his Bersatu has continuously been playing second fiddle to PAS.
However, the court of public opinion may not be ready to forgive him for having masterminded the Sheraton Move which brought down the Pakatan Harapan (PH) 1.0 administration with his PN-helmed backdoor government.
A return is not impossible but it would signal a clear regression rather than progression.
Tan Sri Hadi Awang: The wildcard, sickly cleric
PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang has long harboured dreams of national leadership. His party dominates Malay heartlands while his Islamist credentials doubtlessly appeal to a conservative electorate.
But Hadi’s inflammatory remarks, particularly on race and religion, make him deeply polarising. Internationally, the seven-term Marang MP would be a liability. Domestically, even some in PN prefer to keep him as a spiritual guide rather than a national face.
Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin: The efficient operator
Never underestimate a good operator. Now the Opposition Leader, the Bersatu deputy president has emerged as a respectable PN strategist.
Articulate, aggressive and calculated, he has the backing of Bersatu’s machinery and enough enemies to make him interesting.
But his lack of mass appeal and the whiff of cold-blooded ambition may hold him back. Still, if a political realignment happens, do not be surprised if the Larut MP emerges as a kingmaker or even a compromise PM.
Dr Sam: The dark horse
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Samsuri Mokhtar a.k.a. Dr Sam is often floated as PAS’s answer to the leadership question.
A technocrat with aeronautical engineering background and a softer image than Hadi, Dr Sam is the closest thing PAS has to a “moderate” face.
But the Kemaman MP is untested outside Terengganu and lacks the national stature needed for the top job. It’s definitely a long road from Kemaman to Seri Perdana.
All in all, the Turun Anwar protest may not topple PMX but it reflects a growing impatience with the status quo.
If a leadership change were ever to happen, Malaysia has no shortage of hopefuls. What it lacks, perhaps, is someone the public can truly rally behind.
Until then, Anwar is likely to stay om – not because he is invincible – but because the alternatives remain unconvincing. – July 26, 2025
Main image credit: Syafiq Naqman/Facebook
