Amid support for Najib, Umno leaders starting to question, says former minister

Former information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin says in his blog that Umno division chiefs are beginning to realise the public's unhappiness with Datuk Seri Najib Razak's leadership. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, May 3, 2015.

Umno division chiefs are beginning to realise that people are not happy with Datuk Seri Najib Razak, even as the party leaders continue to express their strong support for his leadership, former information minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin said.

He said that it was wrong to assume that Ummo division leaders were mere yes-men who "swallowed" the country's leaders' every word.

"There are Umno division chiefs who realise that the support of the 'red shirts' to the top leadership can no longer represent the rakyat's support," wrote Zainuddin on his blog today.

"They not only reading it on social media or news portals, but they hear it for themselves at weddings, the suraus and mosques, at coffee shops, in open and closed discussions among the top echelon and the grassroots."

Zainuddin wrote that even Cheras Umno divison leader Datuk Seri Syed Ali Alhabshee could not stay quiet in the face of the scandals surrounding Najib.

Two days ago, the Umno man had reportedly urged for businessman Low Taek Jho to be called in for questioning immediately over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.

"What is the delay? The rakyat are waiting for answers. And so am I," Syed Ali wrote in the Cheras Umno blog.

Zainuddin said that Syed Ali was using a typical Umno method in bringing change to the top leadership, through "subtle and wise means".

"It shows that the support of the red shirts does not mean they are not hurting inside and have given up," wrote Zainuddin.

Zainuddin added that when he relayed his observations to a friend who used to hold an important position in the country, the friend replied:

"What you picked up is the truth, the whole truth, I guess Najib must have been told about that. Now the vast majority of Malaysian don't want Najib to be PM anymore.

"What I heard is that, he won't go unless Umno ask him to go... "

Pressure is mounting against Najib after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad called for his resignation over scandals involving government-owned 1MDB, for continuing the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) and also over the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

- TMI