KUALA LUMPUR: Umno MPs have pledged support to party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a day after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad shocked the nation by quitting the party.
In a special meeting with Abdullah at the Parliament House here on Tuesday, the MPs gave their commitment to Abdullah that none of them would heed Dr Mahathir’s call for them to also quit Umno.
Show of support: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shaking hands with community leaders from Sarawak at the Parliament lobby yesterday. With him is Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (left). The Umno MPs also met Abdullah to pledge their loyalty to him and the party. — NORAFIFI EHSAN / The Star
Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohammad Aziz, who acted as spokesman during the meeting, said all the Umno MPs pledged that they would not leave the party.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said about 95% of the 79 Umno MPs attended the meeting. Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is Dr Mahathir’s son, was one of the few who did not attend the meeting.
“Some of them don’t even see it as an issue and they want to move on,” Nazri pointed out.
Asked if this meant that Umno’s relationship with Dr Mahathir was over, Nazri said: “Ask him (Dr Mahathir). We did not sack him”.
He said they had also decided to revive the Umno Parliamentarian Group (UMPG) headed by Kimanis MP Datuk Anifah Aman.
Membership drive: Umno VP Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (centre) receiving the applications of 972 new Umno members from Datuk Mohd Yunos Husin (second from left) in Malacca yesterday. — Bernama
The UMPG acts as the backbenchers club but will only discuss Umno matters.
Asked if a snap election could be called in the near future, Nazri said there was no reason to do so.
“A snap election will only be called if large scale defections occur,” he said. MPs from Sabah, who had been vocal in Parliament last week, demanding attention to the serious social problems plaguing the state, stressed that Sabah Umno were staying put in the party.
Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh said: “Dr Mahathir’s resignation is personal against Abdullah. It has nothing to do with Sabah Umno. “If one resigns, how to save the party? We were vocal last week, but our loyalty stays,” he said.
He said that of the entire 45-minute meeting, the issue of Dr Mahathir’s resignation lasted only about three minutes.
“Abdullah briefed us on the resignation and we all said we supported him, and let’s move on to solve the problems of the rakyat,” said Ghapur.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the resignation, although shocking, did not rock the boat too much because “our loyalty is to the party.”
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said MPs gave full commitment to Abdullah, adding: “This is 2008. It is all about openness in leadership, with bloggers and a more critical public, transparency, accountability and deliverance are demanded.” she said.
Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim, said Dr Mahathir’s resignation would make the party stronger.
“He belongs to the past and the party is moving forward,” he said.
“We are not yes men. In fact, the previous leadership was more dictatorial. The grassroots were not consulted before important decisions were made,” said Zaid.
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