KUALA LUMPUR – Several Umno leaders holding positions in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government are trying to incite party members by confusing them with false claims, says Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
They include speculation that party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has turned his back on the Umno Supreme Council by unilaterally deciding to withdraw the party from PN in the coming general election.
Describing it as mere propaganda, Najib said Umno had consistently said from the beginning that its cooperation with PN was conditional and would only last until the end of the current term.
The former Umno number one also shared an article dated May 7, 2020 which quoted Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as saying the party would only defend the current government until GE15.
“This is exactly why the president (Zahid) never asked for any position in the government, although he was offered,” the Pekan MP said in a Facebook post this evening.
The former prime minister said that he also did not want any positions as he was busy with ongoing court cases, and noted that several other top leaders in the party had also been offered various posts at different periods.
Among others, he pointed out that Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan was offered to lead Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), while party veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was offered the post of Petronas adviser.
“Umno Youth chief (Asyraf Wajdi) also does not have any government positions, and it was rumoured he had rejected the post of Malaysia Airports Berhad’s chairman.
“All these positions are very lucrative, but Umno’s top leaders are firm in their stand to support PN only until GE15.
“We never betrayed anyone because we never promised to be with PN in the election.
“Umno is still steady although there are certain quarters within the party who may be ‘syiok’ with positions and who are trying to aggravate the situation and confuse party members,” he said.
While Najib did not name anyone, Ketereh MP and current Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa has been among those openly criticising Umno’s top leadership over its strained ties with Bersatu and PN. – The Vibes, March 7, 2021
