Prime Minister Najib Razak has wielded so much effort clinging to power, that he dealt a severe blow at the heart of the ruling party that he was raised to lead.
However, Najib, too engrossed in his survival strategy, is not aware of the harm he is causing to the party.
While he has always thought that he deserved the post of Prime Minister, and of Umno president, he seems unaware that the party is sorely divided on many issues raised under his leadership.
After all, Najib's father was one of the founding prime ministers of Malaysia – famously holding power through policies that were popular among Malays, in a bid to raise their economic standards.
It appears that to Najib, becoming Prime Minister seemed like a natural culmination, after decades of grooming and a gradual rise through the ranks within Umno and the government.
But being the prodigal son of Tun Razak is not enough.
The scion of the Tun Razak family was supposed to take the party forward – but former mentor Tun Mahathir insists he has failed Umno.
Najib's Umno is criticised today because of the very policies previously lauded for giving birth to the Malay community's own rich class, and taking out others from conditions of poverty.
As the changing times rendered these policies redundant – they now support an extreme rich class that the public perceive as aligned with Umno - while leaving other Malays unsatisfied with the economic imbalance, and at the same time continuing to deny other races equal opportunities and equal rights.
Nevertheless, the thorniest of all issues today is Najib's claim he was given money by wealthy donors – but this is not any small money.
This was US$700 million, and Umno leaders are evidently divided over whether the donation was a donation, some denying it is a donation and others questioning whether the party benefited from the 'donation'.
To make things worse, Najib and his allies have made conflicting statements that have only further fueled a perception that the Prime Minister has been deceiving Malaysia at large.
Meanwhile, more and more young Malays have begun to tire of Najib.Some are joining the traditionally Chinese and Indian-dominated Democratic Action Party, in a move by the party to snap more seats from Umno in the next general election.
Many young Malays make fun of Najib online, they protest against his ways on the streets, they say Najib has ignored them – all despite age-old policies in place said to offer opportunities for the race segment, which still makes up the majority in Malaysia.
Many Umno leaders are starting to realise that the decline of support for the party, that has held control of Malaysia since independence, is real and threatening.
They realise that these young Malays are the voters of tomorrow – they will be the ones that will take to the polling station in 2018 and vote, but not for Umno.
The new generation of Malays do not have the same level of respect for Umno that their fathers did, simply because they do not see what greatness it has brought to the country, or done for them, in this era.
Najib's reaction has been damagingly defensive – he has alienated perhaps tens of thousands of supporters by removing ministers he felt have not sided with him adequately on the thorny and controversial issues.
What was the United Malays National Organisation - is no longer a united organisation.
Najib fails to realise that the population of Malaysia, and that of Malays, is growing – and one day he would not afford to buy out support for Umno through contracts, or positions of power.
Things just don't work out that way anymore, Najib.
Importantly, Najib stepping down now would be bad news for the now-in-shambles Pakatan Rakyat.
They have come off a terrible year – the unfortunate deaths of key leaders and the incarceration of Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister and the figurehead of Malaysia's opposition.
All Umno needs to do is replace Najib and make renewed promises to the Malay populace – and at least keep them for a time – and win the next election and stay in power for the next decade.
It's a tried and tested formula.
Meanwhile, Umno party members that fall at the feet of their leader have received ministerships and the support of Najib's associates – but more critically, they have been chastised by the Malay public, who become more and more progressive by the day.
Matters have escalated to a point where Ministers who showed total support to Najib are branded as fools and opportunists.
There are doubts they want to be known as such, and that is why Umno needs to close ranks and knock Najib off his perch.
There is simply no other way to stop the bleeding!
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By Baldev Singh, Political Analyst
