Malaysia

Nazri Aziz back in Muhyiddin’s corner, says hoodwinked by Zahid

Umno old-timer claims ‘untrustworthy’ party president duped him into withdrawing support for PM early this year

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 02 Jul 2021 6:00PM

Nazri Aziz back in Muhyiddin’s corner, says hoodwinked by Zahid — Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz says his volte-face today nullifies his withdrawal of support for the prime minister in January. – The Vibes file pic, July 2, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR – Just as Putrajaya confirmed that Parliament will sit this month, Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has reinstated his backing for Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Umno veteran was reported by Astro Awani as saying this nullifies his withdrawal of support for the prime minister in January.

He said the U-turn is due to the Umno general assembly’s decision to determine the status of the party’s relationship with the Muhyiddin-led Bersatu only after Parliament is dissolved, paving the way for the 15th general election.

Nazri also claimed to be the main strategist behind a move to collect statutory declarations from Barisan Nasional MPs pledging support for Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

On June 10, The Vibes reported that Umno lawmakers were being approached to vouch for Hishammuddin as the candidate for the deputy prime minister’s post.

Nazri said the decision to secure the SDs was to provide Hishammuddin with the mandate to serve as a spokesman for BN MPs in the event that they are called for an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) is accused by Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz of plotting to get party MPs without government appointments to withdraw their support for the prime minister ‘one by one, until the government falls’. – Umno Online pic, July 2, 2021

He went on to describe Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as untrustworthy, alleging that he was deceived by the Umno president, who prompted him to withdraw his support for Muhyiddin.

“I withdrew my support for Muhyiddin because I was lied to by Zahid, who was planning to topple the government,” he told the Astro Awani interview.

“Zahid was planning to get Umno MPs without government appointments to withdraw their support one by one, until the government falls.

“As a sign of loyalty and trust towards him, I withdrew my support (for Muhyiddin) after Machang MP Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub did so.

“After Jazlan and I made the move, no one else announced that they would withdraw support, including Zahid. As the party president who planned all this, he should have been the first.”

Nazri has been a strident critic of the current Umno leadership and the Perikatan Nasional government headed by Muhyiddin.

“In January, I announced the withdrawal of my support for Muhyiddin. Today, I want to declare that I am returning my support to him.

“With this decision, my previous withdrawal is cancelled.” – The Vibes, July 2, 2021