UMNO Kelantan is in a fight against Amanah over the issue of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pardon bid. Though their trouble with Amanah may not deepen the rift in the government, it might cause a shift in voter patterns in the state polls.However, according to the at the Southeast Asia Government Institute Studies director Dr James Chin, UMNO’s focus now should not be on freeing Najib.Instead, they should focus their efforts on maintaining the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.He said the 15 BN MPs are threatening to quit and force by-elections in order to build momentum for the aftermath of the state elections.If UMNO is wiped out in the Pakatan Harapan-controlled states, that would get the 15 MPs to quit and contest elections under pro-Malay banners.Recently, Amanah through its communications director Khalid Abdul Samad, has pleaded with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to reject Najib’s appeal to be pardoned and released from jail.In response to Khalid’s statement, Kelantan UMNO is considering severing ties with Amanah if an apology is not issued.UMNO Kelantan information head Datuk Zawawi Othman said Khalid’s statement was offensive to UMNO members and demanded a retraction.Nevertheless, UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged political parties, especially those aligned with UMNO and Barisan Nasional, to avoid commenting on the issue of a potential royal pardon for Najib.Zahid said the decision on whether or not to grant a pardon is at the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and that unnecessary comments should be avoided, particularly from friendly parties. — April 30, 2023
