Choose unity, stability: Shahril calls for Umno members to unite, trust leaders

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has called for party members to present a united front as speculations continue to mount over the party’s stability.  

This follows embattled Umno MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman revealing yesterday that he is a “living witness” to statutory declarations signed last year supporting opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister. 

In a statement today, Shahril said that the fate of the party lies in the hands of its members, asserting that the party will “win” as long as faith in its leadership remains steadfast. 

“(Umno) is a party that should be on the verge of victory. Why would we invite defeat by being divided? Choose to be united, choose stability,” he said, adding that there should be no open questioning of or arguing over decisions made by authorities. 

Pointing out that the Umno general assembly and Barisan Nasional (BN) convention had already agreed to head to the polls for the 15th general election (GE15), he said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should be trusted to handle cabinet appointments. 

“He is our vice president and the ‘poster boy’ who has received the blessings of our president (Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), deputy president (Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan), the Supreme Council’s working committee, and the party in general,” he said. 

“The selection will be after GE15. The top 5 will decide on a date for the election, present it to the Supreme Council’s working committee and then (it’s) ‘on’. There is no need to fight or raise suspicions.” 

Besides that, in an apparent dig at Tajuddin’s recent tell-all presser, he said that past events should not be “recounted again and exaggerated.” 

“Being present at any gathering does not necessarily mean support of a movement. The president has known about this matter for a long time and he knows better. Let him be the judge.”

He alleged that the revelation had provided those against Umno with “bullets” to attack the party, saying: “Some will say that the prime minister is weak while he is trying his best to manage a country that is going through challenging economic and political situations. 

“Others will say that the president is a liability and similarly weak. How is he weak when he holds a 7-0 success rate in elections?” he questioned. 

Tajuddin had also disclosed that there was an internal movement within the party to topple Zahid as the “big boss”, sharing a photo of a high-level meeting that discussed Zahid standing down from leadership duties. 

He revealed that the movement was led by Mohamad Hasan, more commonly known as Tokmat, who colluded with Zahid’s predecessor Datuk Seri Najib Razak to organise a meeting in May 2020. 

Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz later confirmed with The Vibes that he had attended the meeting among senior Umno leaders, noting that those in attendance had discussed Zahid temporarily stepping aside as party president until the disposal of his ongoing trials. – The Vibes, June 28, 2022