KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) ministers against the 15th general election (GE15) being held this year, especially “party-hopping frogs” who had previously “betrayed” the trust of voters, are afraid of facing the possible fallout of their actions.
This is according to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who slammed the party’s ministers for taking their grouses to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in a letter opposing an immediate dissolution of Parliament.
“They (PN ministers) know that they will be punished by their own voters. They claimed (to act for) voters and their beloved party, but once they won, they jumped to other parties,” Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk MP, said in a statement today.
Claiming the 12 PN ministers who had inked their signature on the letter had only done so out of a desire to remain in control of their position in cabinet, Zahid said that those who had jumped parties and subsequently secured ministerial portfolios are fearful of the reckoning with voters.
“Those who had hopped parties and are now ministers realise that they have a slim chance of winning (in the election)...they are also afraid of facing voters who had previously voted for them,” he said, without naming any individual minister.
The thinly masked reference to PN component party Bersatu leaders who were previously part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition before jumping ship and triggering the collapse of the latter’s administration also featured Zahid brushing aside any cooperation with “enemies of Umno”.
“The Umno Supreme Council, grassroots, and political bureau hope that no Umno representatives will work together with this enemy of Umno,” he said.
Earlier today, Bersatu vice-president Datuk Radzi Jidin and PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man confirmed that all PN ministers had sent a letter to Istana Negara stating that they are against GE15 being held this year. – The Vibes, October 6, 2022