Just leave, Akmal tells MCA leader for saying Zahid a liability to BN

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh says MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng should look in the mirror.

Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh said Penang MCA chairman Tan Teik Cheng, who has lost in several elections, is a liability to his own party.

PETALING JAYA:

 Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh has challenged a senior MCA leader to push the party to leave Barisan Nasional after he claimed that BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is the coalition’s “greatest liability”.

Alternatively, he said, MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng should leave the party if it decides to remain in BN.

Earlier today, Tan, the Penang MCA chairman, criticised Zahid for backtracking on remarks about the existence of a “Team B” in DAP, which he said showed that the Umno president is not qualified to continue leading BN.

He said Zahid’s actions were an insult to BN’s long-established political credibility, and that he should think before speaking.

In a Facebook post this evening, Akmal told Tan: “If you think the BN chairman is a liability, then you should just suggest to MCA that it leave BN.

“If MCA doesn’t agree, then you yourself should leave MCA.

“You talk big, but you don’t even benefit the party. You contested elections and lost by large majorities – just all talk, uncle.”

Akmal also shared the election results from the seats Tan had contested in.

“Now you can see who the real liability is.

“To MCA president Wee Ka Siong, please give him (Tan) a mirror later,” he quipped.

At the Umno general assembly on Saturday, Zahid claimed that DAP leaders who attacked former prime minister Najib Razak and Akmal were part of DAP’s “Team B”, implying that there were factions in the party.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook denied this, saying there is only one “Team DAP”.

Asked about Loke’s remarks, Zahid said he was willing to withdraw his statement and that he had never intended to suggest the existence of camps in DAP.

He said his “Team B” remark was only illustrative, and added: “If it offends DAP, I withdraw what I said.”

Both MCA and MIC have been weighing a departure from BN, apparently over being sidelined by Umno since the formation of the unity government. - FMT