Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad has refuted allegations that she was instructed by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to invite a DAP lawmaker to join her at a recent function.
Certain quarters had characterised her appearance with Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming as part of Zahid’s plan to form a “jajaran baru” (new political alliance) with DAP and PKR.
Some circulated a screenshot of a purported WhatsApp conversation among top Umno leaders that suggested such appearances would help convince the grassroots to accept DAP.
Noraini dismissed the speculation as slander aimed at dividing the party.
“This is all slander. I don’t know of the existence of such a WhatsApp group. If it really exists, it is not an official Umno supreme council group. Perhaps it was purposely created to slander the party,” she told party organ Umno Online.
Zahid has also refuted allegations about the directive and WhatsApp group.
Higher Education Minister Noraini explained that she ran into Ong last Wednesday (May 12) while on an official visit to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's vaccine dispensing facility.
“I went to the UKM facility to meet MyVac volunteers who could not return home to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri. And that’s where I bumped into Ong.
“Before leaving, Ong asked me where I was going and I told him I was about to visit a UKM student in Sungai Merab, Bangi who was ill. He wanted to come along as the area was in his constituency. That’s it.
“That’s why I said those allegations about the Umno president’s instructions are slander,” she said.
After the visit, Noraini had posted photographs of both of them with UKM PhD student and cancer patient Azura Omar on her Facebook page.
Working across the aisle for good
Ong also came to Noraini’s defence, saying there was nothing unusual for Umno and DAP leaders to meet.
“For the Umno BN people who criticised the minister for inviting me to UKM and to the PhD student’s house, please give her a break also.
“(DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng previously invited (Umno) Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina to a DAP event in Penang.
“(Umno minister) Khairy Jamaluddin frequently holds dialogues with DAP MPs and other opposition representatives on issues of national interest like Covid-19 vaccines,” he said in a Facebook post this morning.
Elaborating, he looked forward to a more “mature” political atmosphere where politicians across the aisle could work together in the nation’s interest.
“I hope we can move forward together and form a friendly bond among Malaysian politicians especially when it comes to humanitarian issues and offering each other constructive feedback.
“This is how we can create a more mature political culture in our country.
“Let’s work together to build a better Malaysia together, regardless of race, religion, background and political affiliation,” Ong said. - Mkini
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