I don't meddle in party affairs, Zahid calls the shots - Najib

Former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak said he does not interfere in the administration of the party since relinquishing his post as president in the aftermath of the May 9 general election.

Therefore, he argued that the issue of keeping a distance from Umno does not arise.

“I don't think there is a problem. Since I left as president, I have not interfered in the administration of Umno,” he added.

Najib also said his successor Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is the one who makes the decisions.

“Zahid is free to decide, for example, on the question of office bearers and the candidate for Sungai Kandis (by-election) and all that.

“I am backing him as president and giving my full cooperation,” he told reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat this afternoon.

Najib was responding to Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz, who urged the former president to step aside and allow Zahid to take the party forward. 

When asked about his presence at Sungai Kandis to campaign for BN’s candidate Lokman Adam in the by-election, he said he only attended the campaign as he was “implored” by the candidate.

“I was not keen to go down but I was invited and he (Lokman) implored me to come down.

“Because he stood by me and that is why I decided to go down but it was not in my original plan,” he said.

Najib also said he has no plans to campaign for the Balakong and Seri Setia by-elections.

However, he said he has the right to speak up to defend the policies implemented during his premiership, as the current government is intent on finding faults with his administration.

“Self-defence is a right given to any individual, and that is why I am exercising my right to explain my policies and reasoning why we have done certain things,” he said, pointing to his explanation on the national debt and the GST refunds.

Previously, Najib had insisted that the national debt was RM686 million and not RM1 trillion, as claimed by the Pakatan Harapan government.

He had also denied Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s accusation that GST refunds worth RM19 billion went missing during BN’s administration.

“I think it is my duty to explain in self-defence and because I am also a member of Parliament, I will speak in Parliament because that is my duty.

“But as far as Umno administration is concerned, they are free to do as they deem fit and I will support the decisions of the new leadership of Umno,” he said. - Mkini