'No action yet on Umno members involved with anti-Najib declaration'

Action against Umno members who signed a Citizens' Declaration to support the move to oust Najib Abdul Razak as premier has yet to be discussed, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid - who is also Umno vice-president - said the Umno supreme council also had not discussed whether there was a need to hold an emergency meeting on the matter.

"We never talk about it," he told reporters after opening the Perak Umno branches and Perak Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri movements simultaneously in Ipoh today.

On Friday, ex-DPM Muhyiddin Yassin and ousted Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir were among 50 people who had signed the declaration, and led by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Zahid also slammed Mukhriz's earlier allegation that the declaration was not aimed at toppling the BN government, but to replace Najib with another prime miniser.

He reiterated that the declaration could jeopardise the country, as the PM is the leader appointed to lead the government.

"This is not about individuals, but institutions that become the top leadership which forms the government - and if this is violated, it will jeopardise the whole country.

"The leader represents the institution, so in this case all parties - whether in the current leadership or not - do not need to understand this principle," he said.

Zahid said attempts to oust Najib through the declaration had a silver lining, such as by further strengthening the support of its members for the PM and the party.

He further said Umno was able to break the movement to topple the current leadership through the declaration, by strengthening unity among its members.

In addition, he pointed out that Umno leaders and members at the grassroots must be united to safeguard the party and face all challenges, and not by finding faults with someone.

"Do not think we are perfect or indispensable, we have morals and manners. We respect past leaders and cover up their mistakes as we do not want to embarrass them, because humilating someone is not in the teachings of Islam," he noted.

- Bernama