‘Did Umno stage the Ummi show?’

Ummi Hafilda Ali holds court at a packed press conference but the whole event has given rise to suspicion.

SUBANG JAYA: Was Ummi Hafilda Ali’s press conference on Thursday sponsored by Umno? This is the million-ringgit question on everyone’s lips.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Puchong PKR member who attended the event expressed surprise at how the whole press conference was played out.

“I’m not here to condemn Umi Hafilda but people are not stupid… they are asking who is the hidden hand behind the press conference and why is she coming out with these allegations only now…

“There were so many Umno members that the whole event was suspicious. Also, they outnumbered the reporters,” he said.

On Thursday, Ummi Hafilda accused Anwar of having had sexual relationship with Azmin Ali’s wife Shamsidar Taharin.

She also declared that she would sue Anwar, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Karpal Singh and PAS for RM700 million.

Recounting what transpired during the press conference, the PKR member claimed the questions posed to Ummi Hafilda did not come from the reporters.

“It was the Umno members who were shooting her with questions… this is something unusual.

“Even the questions were not the kind the reporters would ask. One question posed was: why did Anwar go to Azmin Ali’s house to bathe his daughter Afifa? Malaysian reporters don’t ask such unethical questions.

“Every time Ummi Hafilda attacked Anwar and Wan Azizah, the Umno boys shouted and cheered like it was all a big Umno party,” he said.

He added that Ummi Hafilda also failed to describe the kind of suits she would file against Anwar and his team.

She only said that her lawyers had told her that the “summons against Anwar would be filed later”.

“When she said it, our view was that the whole drama was aimed at tarnishing Anwar’s name again.

“Furthermore, Ummi Hafilda said she was arrested by 50 policeman as ordered by Anwar. She also claimed the police tortured her and forced her to sign an oath.

“It’s all very detrimental to the police… she has implied that the police are controlled by Umno politicians. Anwar was an Umno member then,” he said.

The source said the common conclusion among the Pakatan Rakyat rank-and-file now was that Ummi Hafilda’s attack on Anwar was timed to undermine Pakatan in the Tenang by-election. - FMT