Walk away if you love Umno, Nazri tells Najib

Melati A. Jalil Melati A. Jalil Updated 5 years ago · Published on 14 Aug 2018 6:03PM · 5 Comments

Nazri Abdul Aziz says as long as there is no dissociation between the corruption charges against Najib Razak and Umno, the party will be affected. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, August 14, 2018.

FORMER Umno president Najib Razak should dissociate himself from the party, said his long-time lieutenant, Nazri Abdul Aziz, citing the former’s corruption charges that could taint the party’s image. 

The Padang Rengas MP said if the former prime minister kept his distance from Umno, it would also allow party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to lead the party fully. 

“It’s a bit difficult because he was our boss but he must understand. He must follow what Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) did (when he stepped down as prime minister); he shouldn’t wait for us to say it.

“Umno has no sins; the charges are against him, not the party and as long as there is no dissociation, the party will be affected and it will be hard for us to move on,” he said at the Parliament lobby today. 

The former culture, arts and tourism minister said the issue of loyalty to one leader shouldn’t arise as the loyalty of Umno members should be to the party. 

“It’s difficult if he doesn’t let us free. We are still under his shadow, so he must understand and follow what Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) did before him.”

On August 8, Najib was slapped with three more charges of money-laundering, in relation to SRC International, a former 1MDB unit. 

This was on top of the three counts of criminal breach of trust and one count of misusing his position he was charged with on July 4. All charges so far are linked to SRC International.

Although Najib has stepped down as Umno president following Barisan Nasional’s shock defeat in the 14th general election, he remains active in the party and even campaigned for the BN candidate in the recently concluded Sungai Kandis by-election.

Nazri said Najib’s predecessors Dr Mahathir and Abdullah had distanced themselves from Umno when they stepped down as the party leader.

“I believe both Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah love the party, which is why they distanced themselves from the party, worried that whatever stigma people might attach to them would affect the party. 

“Najib should do the same if he loves the party,” he said. 

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa had also said that the party should cut ties with its former president and focus on rebuilding.

Dr Mahathir left Umno for the first time in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots, when he penned a letter criticising the leadership of first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, but was readmitted into the party in 1972 by Razak Hussein.

Dr Mahathir left the party again in 2008 to signal his unhappiness with his successor Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir rejoined Umno in 2009, when Abdullah stepped down in favour of Prime Minister Najib Razak, only to fall out with Najib and quit the party for what would appear to be the final time in 2016. – August 14, 2018.

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Comments

  • Umno's deplorable sins are very much in vogue as the Pakatan govt continues with the reformist agenda..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • In all honesty will it help if Najib were to call it quit from Umno?????. Speak to anyone in the street especially the Malays who have now a wide variety of choices , Umno is just a party for pariahs of untouchables. The unforgivable sins and the absolute disdain are too strong a sentiments nurtured deeply in every rakyat towards anything related to Umno except for their hardcore and all those sitting in the fence who are still in a denial mode hoping that there will be a miracles for a comeback. Najib is the cause but not the main cause as all Umno members are to blame in their partake of slicing cuts after thousand of slicing cuts to create the fall of Umno. Malaysia political land scape has changed and sadly by misgiving Umno with all their washed out same old same old incompetent leaders is only able to steer the party but will not be able to chart the course for a new found heights. It is just trucking slowly along to a journey of demise.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • Everyone in BN & Umno have already smeared themselves with shit. Its not easy to wash, with or without Najib

    Posted 5 years ago by A.Bakar Mohd · Reply

  • UMNO should have been deregistered

    Posted 5 years ago by K Pop · Reply

  • Its not only Jibby that has to go, the entire former MT members would also need to go as its made up of blind yes men. You donkeys would have set a motion of no confident then but you didnt cause of the pie you have already taken and to protect your own bloody bellies. Post May 9 it is so easy to spice up the blame game. Those who speak now are actually the ones without any principals. I am surprised that ROS didnt deregistered dumno as an illegal body.

    Posted 5 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply