KUALA LUMPUR – Politicians from the same party can have differing views, but Umno information head Shahril Hamdan today condemned those that openly go against party policy without permission.
“As a young person in the party, of course, I respect my elders. But I don’t understand the need for an influential senior Umno MP to conduct a press conference shamelessly with the opposition,” he said in a Facebook post last night.
Shahril said such actions could have detrimental effects, which includes confusing the public on Umno’s stand on certain matters and displaying a lack of discipline in the party.
He added that it is normal for some members to agree or disagree with certain party policies, and some may even air their disagreements publicly.
“But when you announce and invite others to go against party policy without party permission, it’s a different story. This cannot be normalised in Umno’s politics.”
On Monday, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno’s Gua Musang MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah held a joint press conference asking MPs to vote according to their conscience in yesterday’s third reading of Budget 2021.
Yesterday, during the bloc vote, Tengku Razeleigh was said to be the only MP absent. – The Vibes, December 16, 2020
