'You're DPM, not Umno president or deputy president' - Puad Zarkashi to Ismail Sabri

 

Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi has hit out at Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, reminding him that while he may hold that federal government post, he cannot bypass the party's leadership.

"In the party, Ismail is the vice-president. He is neither the president (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) nor is he the deputy president (Mohamad Hasan). He is also not the BN chairperson.

"Yes, he's the deputy prime minister, but that does not give him a 'ticket' to bulldoze the Umno president and BN chairperson. He needs to get the consent of the Umno president when it comes to party matters," said Puad (above) in a statement today.

He was hitting out at Ismail Sabri after the latter announced he chaired a meeting involving 40 MPs from the BN coalition, who unanimously supported the government under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's leadership.

This was disputed by BN executive secretary Mohamad Sahfri Ab Aziz who issued a statement denouncing the statement from Ismail Sabri as fake.

Sahfri said any official party statement can only be issued by the party chairperson or secretary-general and will only be done through official party communications channels.

However, Ismail Sabri himself, as well as former BN secretary generals Nazri Aziz and Annuar Musa confirmed the meeting and that the letter of support was genuine.

Puad said that if such matters were allowed to proceed, the party would be destroyed and asked if Zahid was properly informed of the meeting.

"How can this happen, especially in matters related to party policies and decisions made by the supreme council? Do not change the decision of the supreme council. There cannot be two captains because Umno will split," said Puad.

He asked if an Umno deputy division head could use the division letterhead for a statement without the permission of his leader.

"Even to have a meeting with Umno and BN MPs, it is necessary to get approval from the BN chairperson," he added.

This schism stems from fresh doubts over Muhyiddin’s grip on power following a rebuke from Istana Negara last week.

The palace revealed that the ruler asked de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan and Attorney-General Idrus Harun to ensure that the emergency ordinances were revoked through a debate and subsequent vote in Parliament, something which the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government refused to comply with.

The palace reprimanded the government for failing to act in line with the Federal Constitution.

The Prime Minister’s Office countered that Muhyiddin had already advised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to annul the emergency ordinances even before the special Parliament sitting convened on July 26, and the Agong is bound under Article 40(1) of the Federal Constitution to act in accordance with the advice. - Mkini