KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu wants the non-court cluster faction within Umno to speak out against their leaders and take charge of the party to ensure unity in Malay politics, as Johor inches closer to the polls.
Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan acknowledged the existence of good Umno leaders who want political unity but bemoaned their silence over the actions of those who are currently embroiled in court cases.
Speaking at an event in Semerah, Johor last night, Wan Saiful claimed that he had been contacted by several Umno leaders seeking his help to stop the public attacks against the party and vowing to fix matters internally.
However, he said if this faction within Umno remains silent, it will allow the “court cluster” to continue to enjoy their domination and rule of the party.
“The ones who are in control and deciding Umno’s agenda, to the point of rejecting Malay political unity like in Johor, are those that are not part of the good faction.
“So, if it is true there are Umno leaders who aspire for unity, now is the time to speak and rise up,” he said last night in a portion of his speech which was uploaded on his Facebook today.
“Don’t keep quiet to a point those who will soon be in prison get to be in charge and decide on the party’s agenda.”
In his Facebook post, Wan Saiful said the Umno leaders who contacted him had given their commitment that they are strategising internally to put Umno back on the right track.
“The problem is they are allowing the court cluster to ride on Umno and are bulldozing everyone. They need to be fair.
“Why should they ask others to stop attacking Umno when they don’t do the same to their leaders who are rude to us?”
The existence of multiple factions within Umno is public knowledge, with one led by party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the other said to be headed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and fellow cabinet member Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
The government faction within Umno is claiming to want political stability as the country recovers from the impact of Covid-19.
The faction of leaders embroiled in court battles, however, are accused to be pushing for a snap general election to seek dominance at the federal level.
It is believed they are also behind the series of state elections that have been triggered recently in Melaka and Johor. – The Vibes, February 6, 2022
