FEDERAL Territories UMNO information chief Gulam Muszaffar Ghulam Mustakim has condemned Perikatan Nasional (PN) Youth for organising a “Save Malaysia” rally on Sept 16 and called for Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to be charged again.
Gulam Muszaffar described the rally as a “narrow-minded” move and urged PN Youth to realise that it was the UMNO president who “saved Malaysia” amid a political deadlock following the 15th General Election (GE15) last year.
“I wish to remind PN Youth leaders who were involved in the protest and Zahid ‘haters’ that it was this figure who saved Malaysia from a hung Parliament and political uncertainty,” he was reported as saying to UMNO Online yesterday (Sept 18).
“Zahid’s courageous decision to join the coalition government at the request of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had put an end to the political chaos at the time.”
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, had initially asked Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PN to form a unity government, but PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he turned down the suggestion as PN could not work with the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led PH.
This is after no party or coalition was given a clear mandate to govern after last year’s GE15 which had resulted in a hung Parliament for the first time in Malaysian history.
PH and BN, as well as Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), then agreed to form the federal government.
The Batu UMNO division chief pointed out that the risk of Zahid’s decision was much disliked by the PN and the leader’s political opponents when he prioritised the country’s priorities over his own popularity.
“There is no doubt, he has the courage for his race. But he has been insulted, slandered and humiliated instead of being celebrated.
“As an UMNO members, we must defend the narrative that Zahid was the one who saved Malaysia,” he added.
Additionally, Gulam Muszaffar accused PN Youth of having a hidden agenda behind the protest, which is to protect their leaders who are running out of time in their respective court cases.
“They hope that if the government changes, the cases will be dropped. That is their real objective,” he added.
Gulam Muszaffar proposed that UMNO members organise a campaign called “Mencari Menantu Midin Yang Hilang” (Look for Muhyiddin’s Son-in-law) as a countermeasure to the PN Youth’s “Save Malaysia” campaign.
The UMNO grassroots leader was referring to PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s son-in-law Muhammad Adlan Berhan, who is sought by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged misappropriation in the registration, recruitment, and biometric storage of foreign workers.
On Sept 4, Zahid was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) of 47 charges of corruption, breach of trust and money laundering of Yayasan Akalbudi funds. – Sept 19, 2023
Main pic credit: Harian Metro
