Call it a day, controversial Umno leaders told

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has urged controversial Umno leaders who have become liabilities to the party to step down voluntarily instead of waiting for party president Najib Abdul Razak to make the call.

“To leaders who feel that they are too controversial and have become a burden or liability - whether proven wrong or not - please step down voluntarily,” said the Malay daily's senior editor Zaini Hassan today.

“As a leader under the leadership of party president, please respect and trust him. Please don't make any more statements in the newspapers like: ‘I leave my fate to the prime minister’.

“The decision is in your hands, YB, please make your own decision. Don't put pressure on the president,” Zaini says in his column.

Although Zaini (left)did not name anyone, the message is seen as targeting Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who has been embroiled in the controversy surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation.

During the Umno annual general assembly (AGM) held two weeks ago, the senator said she would leave her candidacy in the next general election in the hands of party president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Lawmakers extremely worried

In the article entitled ‘GE13: Waiting for YBs who will step down voluntarily...’, Zaini expresses his disappointment that none of the incumbent Umno lawmakers had responded to Najib's call during the AGM to voluntarily make way for newcomers in the next general election.

“All of them have chosen to wait and see. All of them are extremely worried that their deeply rooted positions will be forfeited or collapse in the storm.”

He stressed that these representatives should announce their exit as early as possible and give opportunities to new faces.

“We are not saying that they are not nice or not good, but definitely they can evaluate themselves. Don't let the people do the evaluation through votes.

“If they are really for Umno, then please help the party president make the choice,” Zaini adds.