Najib takes dig at Dr M for betraying party’s struggles

Umno president says despite the party supporting this certain "someone" for 22 years, the same man was now sitting with those he once called chauvinists and communists.

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PETALING JAYA: Umno President Najib Razak has reminded party leaders and members against betraying the party’s struggles for personal agendas, reported the party’s news site, Umno-Online.

At an event yesterday, the Prime Minister took a thinly veiled dig at a leader who “seemed” to change his stand and struggles.

He said in the past that certain “someone” had advised members not to forget the party when they retired and questioned where “this person” who issued such advice, stood now.

“He sits with those he called racists, chauvinists, communists, anti-Islam and anti-Malay. We defended him for 22 years,” he said in an apparent reference to his fiercest critic, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“People called him a dictator, not me but them, and now he sits with them. Where is his dignity?”

Najib said Umno’s political struggles – which were based on morals and principles – had to be defended to face the challenges and issues in the country.

“In politics, we must have morals and principles, whatever we do, we must hold fast to the Constitution or else the country would descend into chaos.”

“If there is chaos, everything we have fought for all this while will be destroyed. What will we leave for our children and grandchildren?” he said when officiating at a Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia event yesterday.

Najib said the people were no longer influenced with efforts to bring down the government without going to the ballot box and were supportive of the government’s efforts to develop the country.