I was sacked for trying to unite Malay leaders, says Hamzah

 The Larut MP says his meeting with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was undertaken under a mandate from Dr Mahathir Mohamad as part of a ‘big umbrella’ initiative.

Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin said his sacking from Bersatu showed that ‘certain’ leaders were unwilling to embrace the true concept of unity.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin says his commitment to uniting Malay leaders is the reason behind his expulsion from Bersatu last month.

Hamzah claimed his efforts, including meeting with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, were carried out under a mandate from Dr Mahathir Mohamad as part of the former prime minister’s “big umbrella” initiative.

“He (Mahathir) asked me to chair a committee to bring all Malay leaders back under one umbrella.

“So there was nothing wrong with me meeting the Umno president. But I was sacked for doing so – which suggests the prevailing mentality is that this ‘umbrella’ could be selective,” he said in an interview with several media outlets here today.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin accused Hamzah, who was sacked from the party on Feb 13, of engaging in secret negotiations with Zahid to form a new political configuration that would allow Hamzah to be appointed deputy prime minister while another leader holds the top post.

Muhyiddin also accused Hamzah of being behind moves to destabilise and divide Bersatu, saying this was the main reason why the opposition leader was expelled.

Hamzah said his sacking reflected certain leaders’ unwillingness to embrace genuine unity.

He stressed that any leader aspiring to unite the community must not be selective. “(Otherwise), it means you are not sincere,” he said.

He also made it clear that he would not work with Muhyiddin, noting that both had openly declared each other as adversaries.

“I’m now at a crossroads – deciding whether to move forward, left or right – with people (followers and supporters) behind me… so forget him.

“We are now playing on the same field, and he cannot claim to be bigger than me, nor can I claim to be bigger than him,” he said.

Hamzah added that he would decide on his political future after Aidilfitri – whether to form and lead a new party, join another party, or align with a political coalition.

He also said a proposed takeover of Parti Keluarga Malaysia had received 90% backing from his supporters.

“We still need the remaining 10% to finalise everything,” he said. - FMT