KUALA LUMPUR – Taking a veiled swipe at his fellow colleagues, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan is reminding them of how they got their positions in the first place.
Ahmad said many of the party’s leaders would not have gained their senior posts without the help of their partymen.
“I am a ‘#AhliParlimen’ (parliamentarian) from #UMNO. If not for the support of the party, it would not have been possible for me to win while contesting (with the #BN logo),” he said on Twitter and Facebook.
“Therefore, it is only right that I remain loyal, faithful and respectful towards the party’s decisions as enshrined in Umno’s code of ethics.”
Saya #AhliParlimen parti #UMNO
— Ahmad b Maslan (@ahmadmaslan) July 14, 2021
Jika bukan kerana dokongan parti, petugas, pimpinan UMNO di semua pkt, tidak mungkin saya boleh menang bertanding dgn logo #BN
Oleh itu sewajarnya saya sentiasa taat, setia & hormat kpd keputusan parti spt termaktub dlm tata etika sbg ahli UMNO❗️ pic.twitter.com/rnBWeH35s0
Ahmad, who is also Pontian MP, said this just hours after the cabinet – which includes nine Umno members – announced its resounding support for embattled Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after their weekly meeting today.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa told The Vibes that the cabinet members, including the Umno ministers, had made the pledge.
“All of them...” he told The Vibes briefly.
The cabinet’s statement follows Umno’s withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin following its Supreme Council meeting last week.
Party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had announced that the Barisan Nasional lynchpin would no longer back the prime minister, and that there would be no compromise on the matter.
Umno also called on Muhyiddin to step down honourably and make way for a new prime minister.
Zahid said the new prime minister must call a general election after the country attains herd immunity, so as to establish a stable government.
Zahid’s announcement came hours after Muhyiddin appointed Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as deputy prime minister and promoted Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to “senior” status.
On Sunday, Ahmad had also told The Vibes that 50 out of the 56 Supreme Council members had signed a form agreeing to withdraw support for Muhyiddin prior to their Wednesday meeting.
Despite Zahid’s announcement, the party’s nine ministers have not individually called for Muhyiddin’s resignation.
The Vibes has also reached out to several Umno ministers and Supreme Council members for comment but they have yet to respond.
Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan remained tight-lipped on the matter.
“This one, (I’m) staying away (from commenting),” Shahril told The Vibes. – The Vibes, July 14, 2021