Umno veterans defend Najib in face of calls to step back

Melati A. Jalil Melati A. Jalil Updated 5 years ago · Published on 15 Aug 2018 6:18PM · 7 Comments

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah says Najib Razak should be allowed to speak out on national issues as he is still a parliamentarian. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, August 15, 2018.

TWO Umno veterans have stood by Najib Razak amid calls by leaders in the party urging the former president to keep his distance from Umno.

Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said despite the recent corruption charges against the son of country’s second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein, Najib was not a liability to the party.

“It’s unfair to abandon him as he was a former leader and is still a member of the party. You want to abandon him just because of the perception and allegations (against him)?

“It has still not been proven that he is guilty. If he is guilty, then we have concrete grounds to think of him as a liability, but right now, he is a victim of perception,” he said at the Parliament building today.

He said turning one’s back on a former leader just to gain support from other people was unprincipled. 

“If he is found guilty, then we can ask him to take a break… but we have to wait. It’s unfair to abandon him now.”  

Former Supreme Council member Nazri Abdul Aziz had yesterday said Najib should dissociate himself from Umno while former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin echoed his sentiments by saying that the party’s new leadership under Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should be given the chance to carry out its tasks and chart the course for the party. 

Najib is facing seven charges in relation to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd. Three are for criminal breach of trust, three for money laundering and one for misusing his position.

Meanwhile, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah said Najib should be allowed to speak out on national issues as he is still a parliamentarian. 

“Although he has no position (in the party), he can still give his views because he is the Pekan MP.

“I’m not defending anyone, but he contested and was elected MP. He has the right to voice out (his opinion) and we cannot stop him from doing so.” 

Najib stepped down as Umno president following Barisan Nasional’s shock defeat in the 14th general election. He remained active in the party, even campaigning for the BN candidate in the recent Sungai Kandis by-election. – August 15, 2018.

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Comments

  • Who is this old man ?

    Posted 5 years ago by Hock Keat Wong · Reply

  • This Tengku, nowdays, sounds a retard.

    Posted 5 years ago by Azis Yusoff · Reply

  • Yawn!!!!!

    Posted 5 years ago by Robert Phang · Reply

  • Yawn!!!!!

    Posted 5 years ago by Robert Phang · Reply

  • Yawn!!!!!

    Posted 5 years ago by Robert Phang · Reply

  • Yawn!!!!!

    Posted 5 years ago by Robert Phang · Reply

  • The perception of Najib, is real and reasonable, and is the cause of the downfall of Umno. Sticking with him is an obvious folly of an incompetent thinker.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lim Chee Keong · Reply