[UPDATED] Back Zahid as PM, drop court cases: leaked letter shows ‘terms’ for Umno candidates

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno candidates for the 15th general election (GE15) must support party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as prime minister candidate, a leaked statement now going viral on Twitter shows.

They must also push the new government to drop court cases involving Umno and BN leaders, as well as any ongoing investigations that involve them.

Zahid is among the party's leaders who have ongoing corruption cases.

The document is an “akujanji” or oath declaration bearing Umno’s letterhead and signed by the candidate as well as Zahid and Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

The leaked document bears Lenggong candidate Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah’s name and his signature. Shamsul is also BN Communications (BN Comms) director.

The BN Comms Facebook page, however, has denied the document and called it a fake.

“BN Comms director Shamsul Anuar denies the document and considers the actions of those spreading false information as slanderous and aimed at tarnishing Umno-BN’s image,” BN Comms said.

The document also states that the candidate must support any action by Zahid as Umno president and BN chairman to hold post-election talks with parties or political coalitions, in the event BN fails to win enough seats to form a government.

Dated October 30, one day before BN announced its candidates for GE15, the document also requires the candidate to support Zahid in deciding key cabinet posts for Umno and BN MPs, as well as positions in government agencies and government-linked companies.

The candidate is required to push the new government comprising BN and other parties to ensure that these decisions by Zahid are adhered to.

On the court cases involving Umno and BN leaders, the candidate must urge the new government to drop and “settle” them, and also drop all investigations involving the leaders.

“I take this oath voluntarily without any coercion and I am bound by this oath. I understand and agree that should I break this oath, I will face disciplinary action by the party and will agree to vacate (the parliamentary seat),” the last paragraph of the document states before the candidate’s signature.

On his own Facebook page, Shamsul also denied the document and said no such oath was made.

Umno information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan simply said that there is “no such document” when asked by The Vibes on the matter.

The Vibes on October 31 reported that Umno candidates were also asked to sign letters supporting Zahid by giving him the mandate to form the next cabinet should Umno and BN win the election.

Sources had said that this includes backing Zahid to negotiate with other political parties and to appoint MPs of his choice as cabinet members, effectively positioning him as the prime minister candidate.

These conditions were placed on candidates, as Zahid also moved to drop incumbents aligned to caretaker prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Outwardly, Zahid and Umno have declared Ismail Sabri as BN’s prime minister candidate.

Zahid yesterday denied making such demands of candidates and called it “lies”.

After BN announced its candidates yesterday, Sembrong candidate Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said candidates had to sign a document, but it had nothing to do with supporting Zahid as PM. Rather, he claimed it was to affirm commitment to the party. – The Vibes, November 2, 2022