PETALING JAYA: Several PPBM leaders have dismissed Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s claim that the message he and several other Umno leaders got from a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was to jump ship and dissolve Umno.
PPBM information chief Kamarudin Md Nor said it was unlikely that Mahathir would make that kind of offer to Zahid, adding he believed Mahathir would have briefed PPBM leaders on the matter first.
PPBM Supreme Council member Tariq Ismail said a statement “coming from someone who is not stable will also be unstable”.
Although Tariq was aware there was a delegation from Umno to see the prime minister some weeks back, he did not know what was discussed.
He said he was unsure whether PPBM could afford to accept leaders like Zahid, who is now facing corruption charges.
He said his party could not simply accept any leaders jumping ship as applications have to be looked at case by case.
“What I know is that Tun Dr Mahathir had talked to Zahid and one of the things he brought up was how Umno is becoming irrelevant.
“For Mahathir, Umno is gone.”
Yesterday, Zahid admitted he and other senior party leaders had met Mahathir.
He said at the meeting, the message was clear to Umno leaders: “We must jump ship and join PPBM. We must dissolve Umno.”
PPBM chief strategist Rais Hussin said he too was aware there were several meetings but the details of what transpired were only privy to those who attended them.
“There are discussions on various matters when Umno leaders come to see Tun Dr Mahathir. I’m aware of it.
“They were to discuss how to go forward and so on. Tun Dr Mahathir will then give advice, that’s all.
“But it is not like laying out a red carpet for Zahid to join us.”
He said Mahathir would always welcome those who want to join the party and join in its struggles.
However, there was no specific invitation to anyone and it was open to everyone, he added. -FMT
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