Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad speaks during an event to announce a citizens’ movement against the government in Kuala Lumpur on March 4, 2016. BMI Research said that the second clause in the ‘Citizens’ Declaration’ calling for all who has worked with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to also be removed, will likely rally the party to unite and support the Umno president. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s “citizens’ declaration,” aimed at unseating current prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, could instead have the opposite effect of garnering more support for the latter, said a Fitch Group research house today.

In a statement, BMI Research said that the second clause in the “Citizens’ Declaration” calling for all who has worked with Najib to also be removed, will likely rally the party to unite and support the Umno president.

“While the first clause of the declaration states that the ‘undersigned citizens of Malaysia agree to support the removal of Najib as PM of Malaysia through non-violent and legally permissible means’ is unsurprising, the second clause calling for ‘the removal of all those who have acted in concert with him’, is unlikely to resound with Umno.

“Instead, the party will view the statement as an attack on Umno and we believe that this could mark the turning point within the disunited party and convince undecided grassroots leaders to support Najib,” BMI Research said in a statement today.

But it said Putrajaya could be vulnerable if it does not address allegations regarding Lembaga Tabung Haji’s finances, as suspicions over the pilgrims fund’s health could erode Muslim support.

The fund’s finances first came into public attention after a letter from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) warning the fund that its assets were insufficient to meet its liabilities, was leaked to the public.

BMI research explained further that Umno members may see Dr Mahathir’s declaration as an assault on the party itself and no longer specifically against Najib, which will further strengthen the latter’s position as party president and prime minister of Malaysia.

“The announcement and signing of the Citizen’s Declaration on March 4 does not present considerable risks to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s grip on power.

“Instead, the declaration has likely strengthened the United Malays National Organisation’s (Umno) resolve and will prompt it to close ranks instead and rally behind party president Najib,” it said, adding that Najib will remain in power so long as he held the support of Umno grassroot members.

Dr Mahathir’s resignation from Umno will also likely have minimal effect on Najib as the former’s removal from Petronas and his inability to prevent the ouster of his son, former Kedah mentri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, on top of his having to get support from former-rivals DAP, shows his diminishing political influence.

“As such, his mere resignation is unlikely to lead to the resignation of Najib as it did during his previous resignation in 2008 (which resulted in the stepping down of previous Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi),” it said.

Dr Mahathir together with other Barisan Nasional veterans, opposition leaders and human rights activists, recently banded together in a “Save Malaysia” movement by signing a Citizens’ Declaration that called for Najib’s removal.

The movement is the latest platform of the former prime minister’s long-running campaign to remove Najib from office.

BMI Research, a Fitch Group company, is a research firm that provides “macroeconomic, industry and financial market analysis” across 24 industries and 200 global markets, according to its website.