Alluding to imminent defeat in GE15, Najib tells Umno rebels to repent

 

As the battle for Putrajaya comes down to the wire, former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak has warned rebel party MPs supporting Perikatan Nasional to return to the fold.

Hinting that they may not be able to retain their seats in the next elections, Najib said the 23 MPs should repent.

"The opportunity (to retain their seats) is slim after taking into account public sentiment and the anger of Umno divisions' grassroots.

"The time to repent is now," he said in a Facebook post today.

He was commenting on an Malaysian Insight article quoting analysts who predicted that the PN-leaning Umno MPs would likely face defeat in the 15th general election.

Umno's official stance is to withdraw support from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin - which Najib and 14 other MPs including party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi have done.

However, 23 MPs led by Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob have remained loyal to the prime minister.

Muhyiddin is believed to be 11 MPs short of a majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

He extended an olive branch to the opposition yesterday, promising reforms in exchange for support until June next year.

Among the reforms offered was an anti-party hopping law.

Commenting on this, Najib sarcastically remarked that he supported such a move if it could be backdated to the 14th general election.

"It must be backdated to GE14. How about that?

"You people (Bersatu) swiped tens of Umno-BN MPs and now you are offering an anti-hopping law?" he said.

Post-GE14, Umno lost 16 MPs who defected to Bersatu. - Mkini