Noraini’s resignation a ‘slap in Ismail’s face’, says Puad

 

Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said Noraini Ahmad’s position as Umno Wanita chief carries a lot of weightage and her quitting as a minister is a blow for deputy prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

PETALING JAYA: The resignation of Umno Wanita chief Noraini Ahmad and the denial by two MPs named by Ismail Sabri Yaakob that they support the prime minister is a “slap in the face” for him, says party Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi.

He said Noraini, who quit as higher education minister yesterday, has a lot of support as the head of a major wing in Umno, with ex-officio status as deputy president of the party.

“She is head of a wing that is crucial as it is made up of grassroots members who are the backbone of the party. Muhyiddin Yassin wanted this support badly but Ismail failed to deliver.

“So her resignation is like a slap on Ismail’s face,” he said in his Facebook posting today.

At a press conference yesterday, the deputy prime minister had claimed that 31 of the 42 Barisan Nasional MPs backed Muhyiddin, with the list including names of two Umno MPs who later denied it.

Puad said Ismail had included the names of Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar and Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim in the list allegedly supporting the prime minister, but this was later denied by the duo.

On Wednesday, Muhyiddin informed the King that he had the parliamentary majority and said a confidence motion would be tabled when Parliament sits in September.

Puad said Ismail, at his press conference, had used the narrative that the King had wanted the prime minister to prove his majority in September when it was public knowledge that he had lost the majority after eight Umno MPs withdrew their support officially.

“Ismail has proven to be the one who went against the decision of the party leadership.

“At the Supreme Council meeting, he had pledged to follow the party’s decision and was even ready to quit if asked to.

“However, he has become a party to the group that is the enemy of Umno instead of standing in solidarity with the party. Now, the Wanita and Youth wings are not with him, and so are the state information chiefs.”

Puad said Ismail only had the support of Umno MPs who have already found their “exit” path from the party, including leaders like Idris Jusoh, Ahmad Hamzah, Ismail Muttalib, Nazri Aziz, Annuar Musa, Hasan Arifin and Tajuddin Abdul Rahman. - FMT