KUALA LUMPUR – Former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has some fighting words for opposition bloc Pakatan Harapan (PH) and government ally Perikatan Nasional (PN) after the two slammed the Malay-based party over the agreement expiry date.
He accused PH and PN of being the ones repeatedly threatening to end the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the government and PH after Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed prime minister.
“The ones always threatening to cancel the MoU are the PH and PN gang. The ones whining the most when told the MoU will not continue after its expiration date are also the PH and PN gang.
“As days go by, more and more I don’t understand them,” he said on his Facebook page this morning, followed by a shrug emoji.
On Thursday, the Umno Supreme Council in a statement said the MoU between the government and Pakatan Harapan will no longer continue after its July 31 expiration date.
The council also announced that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be its prime ministerial candidate in the coming general election.
Yesterday, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reiterated the stand over the MoU, saying the party’s top five – president, deputy president and three vice-presidents – decided on the matter before bringing it to the Supreme Council.
“There will be no MoU 2.0 because Umno is of the opinion that there is no need to extend the agreement.”
He said in a video after his court appearance that the decision to not extend the MoU follows the resolution drawn up during the Umno General Assembly earlier this year.
Ismail Sabri is Umno vice-president.
However, Umno’s announcement does not sit right with PH and PN.
PH said the MoU has nothing to do with the Umno Supreme Council’s decision, as it is a discussion between the prime minister on behalf of the ruling parties and opposition leadership.
PN lynchpin Bersatu, meanwhile, said it was agreed that there were no discussions required at that time on whether it should be extended.
Party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the MoU was mentioned in a meeting between the leaders of PN and Ismail Sabri last week and it was agreed that no discussions were required at that time on whether it should be extended.
Meanwhile, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan called for the continuation of the MoU until the dissolution of Parliament. – The Vibes, April 16, 2022
