The biggest political party in the country, the United Malays National Organisation or Umno, is on a limb and it is struggling to adjust to the new reality.
But it is strong enough to have the guts to strike at the Pakatan Harapan government, albeit from a distance.
In the last three weeks, a series of events showed how the Umno is still a powerful entity in Malaysia.
But, with its members disheartened by the massive defeat of May 9, the headless party is in disarray.
Right in the middle of the crisis regarding the nomination of a non-Malay Attorney General, the Umno tried to stir the hornet nest.
But rallies to show support to the Royals in the country amid their row with PM Tun Dr Mahathir on the AG issue, fell flat.
Some of the scattered Umno leadership tried to shore support against the PH by sharing links indicating that the military was under the purview of the Malaysian King.
This too fell flat, The King came out on top in the tussle, supporting the Mahathir government on its AG’s choice and decried the elements that tried to stir confusion.
But it is perhaps the Mahathir government’s motion to dismiss a series of security heads in the country that has also dampened the opposition’s force.
Playing the cards tight, Mahathir dismissed the army chief, the police chief while the then AG Apandi Ali had his back against the wall.
The rogue opposition elements also tried to spark a fire between Dr Mahathir and his rekindled friendship with Anwar Ibrahim, the man Mahathir sent to jail days after the birth of the ‘reformasi’ movement.
The pro-Umno social media networks were filled with stories of Anwar promising the Umno and the Party Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) an alliance to topple Dr Mahathir.
This too failed to get traction to get traction.
But it showed that Umno is trying – in scattered pieces – adjust as an opposition force, though in some minds the role of the opposition is to bring down the current regime at all cost.