Bandar Tun Razak Umno unfazed by candidate's past ‘Najib resign’ remarks

GE14 | Bandar Tun Razak Umno cannot seem to catch a break with its potential candidates for the Federal Territories parliamentary seat.

Its first pick, Rizalman Mokhtar, was caught up in a drug scandal, and an attempt by higher ups to field Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil there was met with backlash, both becuase she is not from the area and her association with the National Feedlot Corporation.

Now it's latest potential pick, lawyer Adnan Abu Seman, is being dogged by past remarks, after it was revealed that he once said that Najib Abdul Razak should consider stepping down as Umno president.

"He is facing a situation where another influential leader in the party is having differing opinions with the top leadership.

"If Najib can't handle differing opinions I think he should step down, that is the best solution.

"If he is bringing more hardship to the party, and placing it in a difficult position, he should reconsider his place as party president," Adnan had said in October 2016, on the Bernama TV talk show “Ruang Bicara.”

He said that this should be done through a transfer of power, similar to the way in which Najib assumed power from his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The comments were made two months after former Umno leaders Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin filed to register Bersatu, which led to a schism in the ruling Malay party.

It had even resulted in “Ruang Bicara” host Dahlan Maamor's removal from the station.

A youth leader within the Federal Territories Umno raised concerns that Adnan's remarks about Najib would be used against BN in the 14th general election.

"How is he going to answer this when the people question him?" the youth leader, who declined to be named, told Malaysiakini.

'No qualms'

When contacted, Adnan declined to elaborate on the matter until his nomination is made official, but said he had already explained his remarks to the party leadership.

"The leaders already received a full explanation, and before they made their pick they would have considered this matter.

"I don't see anyone that is unhappy (with me), in Bandar Tun Razak, the division and grassroots leaders support me 100 percent. Maybe it is the other divisions that are unhappy," he said.

Bandar Tun Razak Umno vice chief Nor Azman Suleiman concurred, stating that the division leadership had no qualms with Adnan.

Among others, Azman said the lawyer was a local boy whose father was a well-known religious teacher in the community.

He added that the potential candidate had once served as the division's youth information chief, and was a ceramah speaker during the 2008 and 2013 elections.

"So this issue (of what Adnan said about Najib) is not a hot issue," Azman told Malaysiakini.

Adnan, 42, is expected to be officially named as Bandar Tun Razak candidate along with other BN's other Federal Territories nominees tomorrow.

MCA contested in Bandar Tun Razak in last three elections, but lost the seat to PKR in 2008 and 2013.

Though MCA remains adamant on contesting the seat, Federal Territories BN chief Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has indicated that the Umno may take it in exchange for returning Wangsa Maju to MCA. - Mkini