TALK of Umno cooperating with PKR and DAP is propaganda by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, said former Umno president Najib Razak on Facebook.

The former prime minister dismissed the idea as “nonsense”. 

Najib said the propaganda tried to portray him and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who are both on trial for various charges, as desperate and willing to do anything to save themselves.

“Personally, I have never asked for my cases to be dropped just like that.

“Because if it is dropped like in the case of (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng before, I will be denied the opportunity to clear my name completely and will have to face the opposition’s propaganda forever,” he said.

Najib said the government’s new communications unit, JKom, has had to repeatedly play up propaganda like this through social media and government-controlled media. 

The post was accompanied by a doctored video showing Lim singing the Umno song.

JKom is a government agency formed to replace the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa), which was previously a government propaganda tool during the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

Najib said that Jkom was spreading propaganda that he and Zahid were desperate to reject the unification with Bersatu instead of being willing to work with PKR and DAP to escape the cases in court.

He said Najib it was not only the two of them who rejected Umno’s cooperation with Bersatu but it was the same stance of several senior party leaders including almost all Umno divisions.

Najib said, to get past the court case was easier by accepting the Perikatan  government, rather than fighting the government.

He then taunted several leaders in the PN government, including senior minister Mohamed Azmin Ali who had been linked to a sex video involving a man.

Najib said at least two former Umno leaders – Mustapa Mohamed and Mas Ermieyati Samsudin – were alleged to have received funds from him after they left the party and joined Bersatu.

Najib said the Umno Supreme Council has decided not to work with PKR and DAP in the next general election.

“This stance will be repeated by delegates and Umno division heads  at the General Assembly which will take place at the end of this month.

“If we want to cooperate with PKR or DAP, we need the agreement of Umno divisions and  grassroots,” he said. – March 16, 2021.