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KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today confirmed attending a meeting among senior Umno leaders in mid-2020 to discuss Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi temporarily stepping aside as party president until the disposal of his ongoing corruption trials.
Speaking to The Vibes, Nazri said he could not remember Zahid’s reaction to the consensus for deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, also known as Tok Mat, to take over the party reins in place of Zahid.
Nazri was commenting on a photo shared by embattled Umno MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who during a tell-all press conference earlier today, revealed the high-level meeting that discussed Zahid standing down from leadership duties.
“Yes, it’s true, I was there, it was in Tajuddin’s house. It was during the early days when Zahid was charged in court, and at the meeting, we agreed that Tok Mat should become acting president.
“It was not for Zahid to vacate his position but to go on leave until his cases are over.”
Nazri, however, said he does not remember the exact responses of those in attendance but recalls the likes of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin being present.
“I think he (Zahid) was there, but I cannot remember his reaction, that you have to ask him.”
This comes after Tajuddin made the revelation of the high-level meeting that discussed Zahid temporarily vacating his post as Umno president.
Tajuddin even claimed that it had been a long time since Zahid had the ability to lead the party.
Nazri today also confirmed Tajuddin’s claim of Umno leaders signing statutory declarations (SDs) expressing their support for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister.
The Padang Rengas MP told The Vibes how the SDs were signed when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was still the prime minister in early 2020.
“We were in support of Anwar because Dr Mahathir at that time intended to dissolve Umno.
“So, I personally spoke to Anwar, and I know he is a fair guy, pleading with him not to dissolve Umno if he is appointed prime minister, to which he agreed saying he has no intention to dissolve the party his own father was part of,” said Nazri.
When asked to comment on Tajuddin’s tell-all press conference, Nazri was in support of the Pasir Salak MP, saying it was his right to express his own grouses.
“I do not think what he did was overboard, because in Malaysia, we cannot just be talking about freedom of expression, we need to practise it also. So, he was just practising his own freedom of expression and his right to speak out.” – The Vibes, June 27, 2022
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