Umno cancels leadership meeting as Zahid feels the heat

SM Amin SM Amin Updated 7 years ago · Published on 16 Dec 2018 7:13AM · 14 Comments

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has cancelled tonight's monthly Umno Supreme Council meeting without a reason, with sources saying he does not want to face other Umno leaders as calls for his ouster grow. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, December 16, 2018.

UMNO cancelled tonight’s monthly Supreme Council meeting without a reason as it deals with the fallout from the party’s mass exodus and pressure for president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step aside.

Sabah Umno virtually dissolved a day after the meeting notice was sent out while six other MPs also quit the party this past week. Word had also spread then that Zahid wanted the grassroots to agree to an alliance with PKR and DAP but that triggered a backlash.

Party sources say these issues would have been brought up at the Supreme Council meeting and pressure the embattled party president to quit the post.

“He does not want to have to face the council at this time for fear of it asking him to quit. Though his position may not be on the agenda it could be a subject,” one source told The Malaysian Insight.

The sources said the decision to cancel the Supreme Council meeting will give breathing space to Zahid to consider his options.

The Umno president had said he will not bow to pressure from anyone in the party and reminded members that only a special assembly could remove him from his post.

“I will not give in to pressure from a group within the party. The party constitution clearly states only two-thirds of delegates at a party general assembly can remove me,” he said on Facebook yesterday. 

He also reaffirmed Umno will continue to cooperate with PAS on Malay-Muslim issues and not work with DAP – both contentious issues in the Malay nationalist party that ruled the country for 61 years until its historic defeat in the May 9 polls.

The Umno Supreme Council meets every month and last met on November 9.

That meeting also was heated as supreme councillors debated an Umno Youth suggestion that Zahid take a break from his position to deal with his court cases.

The party’s Youth wing had resolved at its meeting on October 25 that the Bagan Datoh MP should go on leave.

However, Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dasuki was not given any space to speak when he raised the issue by several supreme councillors aligned to the party chief.

At the same meeting, a proposal to work with other parties and get back into government was put on the back burner by the council which said it would rather focus on strengthening the party and becoming a solid opposition party.

Between the last Supreme Council meeting and today’s meeting which has been called off the situation has become worse.

The party has lost 17 MPs, nine assemblymen and is now trying to mobilise to get the grassroots to support a plan to enter into coalition with PKR and its longstanding nemesis, DAP.

One of the MPs who left, Hamzah Zainuddin, had claimed that the remaining 33 MPs in the Barisan Nasional coalition has also pledged their support to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

To top it off, there is growing pressure from the grassroots to get Zahid to quit. – December 16, 2018.

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Comments

  • Thought BN esp UMNO and its politicians will face natural political death ....but very disappointed and sickening to see them emerging in another form under different roof....why?. Is Malaysia short of capable young leaders....why need to support these morons?....sick

    Posted 7 years ago by Maniraju Maruthai · Reply

    • Actually, it is very naive of anyone who expected Umno to simply wither away and die after their electoral loss. Only in countries where they execute opposition politicians can this occur. Merging, assimilating and negotiating mutually beneficial deals are part and parcel of a democratic political process, which is exactly what is happening. Expecting Utopia after an election win is laughable at best.

      Posted 7 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • The writing is on the wall for President Zahid. Why is he afraid to even meet with his own Supreme council after his victorious 500,000 strong anti-Icerd thanksgiving rally?

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • Zahid should join PAS and leave UMNO

    Posted 7 years ago by Watchdog Watchdog · Reply

  • He is not a Bugis what, he is just a common thief. Thats why he dare not face a meeting as he is scared of being kicked out.

    Posted 7 years ago by Alphonz Jayaraman · Reply

  • Dr Presiden Samseng, berani kerana benar, jangan jadi pejuang tikus seperti bekas MO1.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • The Clock is Ticking Time is Up Good Bye president gangsters Scumbag umno/pas the Kiss of Death.

    Posted 7 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply

  • When you fear to even meet your own members, it's time to go.

    Posted 7 years ago by Xuz ZG · Reply

  • When a leader avoid a nothing-to-hide meeting, iy has been historically proven that he is destined to be thrown out.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Ah so, monyet see monyet do. Najib dulu lari, sekarang Zahid pun macam kilat seludup diri. Hebat.

    Posted 7 years ago by Mahsuri Smiles · Reply

  • Wonder if Tiga Jalur are now considering sending out unprecedented tweet to disassociate themselves from Zahid the Pengecut?

    Posted 7 years ago by Mahsuri Smiles · Reply

  • UMNO grassroots objects to the leadership plans to work with DAP but majority of leadership has left indicating willingness to work/join PH. Such a disconnect.

    Posted 7 years ago by Billy rave · Reply

  • Nothing to hide because he has nothing to offer. The whole party is still blur

    Posted 7 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

  • Nothing to hide because he has nothing to offer. The whole party is still blur when the leader is blur

    Posted 7 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply