Former premier Najib Abdul Razak is entitled to air his views as he is a member of Parliament, said Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
"He does not have any more positions but he can still comment and provide his views as he is still the Pekan MP.
"I am not defending anyone (but) he contested and is still an MP so he can speak out and we do not have the right to stop him," the Gua Musang MP told reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat today.
Even though Najib is facing seven corruption and abuse of power charges, Tengku Razaleigh said the former Umno president is innocent until conviction.
Razaleigh was responding to former minister Nazri Abdul Aziz who urged Najib to step aside and allow Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take the party forward.
Although having relinquished his position, Najib continues to be in the limelight with his statements on the new government's policies and decisions.
Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman also defended Najib, dismissing the argument that the latter is a liability to Umno.
"Why is he a liability? Because of the people's perception that he is involved in this and that, all sorts of accusations.
"These perceptions and accusations are not proven whether it's true or not," he told reporters.
Certain Umno leaders have attempted to distance the party from the former president after he was slapped with seven charges including criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering.
While Tajuddin defended Najib's right to speak, he said that if the allegations against Najib were proven, he would tell the former premier to be quiet.
He also advised his comrades in the party not to become power-hungry and throw away their principles and dignity by throwing Najib under the bus.
"This is unprincipled (behaviour). Let us lose power as long as we hold onto our principles.
"What is the use of winning if we lose our principles," he said. -Mkini
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