EMBATTLED Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he will not go on leave as nobody demanded it at today’s Supreme Council meeting.
“There was no discussion, although there were views shared.
“Not one of the Supreme Council members, including the Umno Youth chief (Dr Aysraf Wajdi Dusuki), asked me to go on leave.
“The Youth chief said the meeting only suggested it, for the Supreme Council and president to consider it,” said Zahid after the three-hour meeting at the Umno headquarters.
There had been speculation that the meeting would discuss whether Zahid should go on leave, pending the completion of his court cases.
He is facing 45 charges, for criminal breach of trust, bribery and money laundering, involving RM114 million. The funds are allegedly from a charity foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi, of which he is a trustee, and for projects awarded when he was home minister in the previous Barisan Nasional government.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan has said the party has a standard operating procedure dating back to 2009, requiring Supreme Council members facing criminal charges to go on leave.
The Youth wing had proposed that Zahid go on leave until his charges are settled.
Zahid said the meeting today discussed three matters – rejection of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Budget 2019 and efforts to strengthen the president’s position.
It was decided that the party should move forward, but “different opinions are appreciated”, he said.
“But this must come to a full stop. We must show our unity at all levels, and reject any effort to break the party from within and without.
“More importantly, the roadshow that began in Terengganu will continue,” said Zahid, referring to his meet-the-members sessions to explain the charges against him. He will be in Johor tomorrow.
On ICERD, Zahid said Umno has decided to reject efforts by the government to ratify the convention, and will work with other parties and civil society groups to stop it.
“It will begin with an event in Pasir Salak on November 17, where the PAS president (Abdul Hadi Awang) and I will speak on the same stage.”
He said the Umno and PAS Youth wings have been urged to hold similar programmes nationwide. – November 9, 2018.
Comments
Posted 7 years ago by Aden Han · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Danial Abdullah · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Lipdah Lia · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply
Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply