Ku Nan: Muhyiddin not required to open assemblies

(MMO)

The Umno Supreme Council meeting this Friday could be rescheduled.

Party secretary-general, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, while not wanting to go into the specifics said: “I would prefer it to be delayed as a lot of things have happened especially after the budget announcement. I will need to get confirmation from my boss (Datuk Seri Najib Razak).”

Party insiders believe the delay was due to findings by the party’s political bureau, which Tengku Adnan is in. The bureau had wrapped up its probe involving seven members including Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and the recommendations would be presented to Najib before any announcement could  be made.

Sources revealed among the decisions was to bar Muhyiddin from opening the Wanita and Youth assemblies during the party’s general assembly in December. In the past, the deputy president opened the assemblies.

“It is not required for the deputy president to launch (the Wanita and Youth assemblies).

“Yes, it is a tradition but we can change tradition. I know my limits as secretary-general .. what I can do and otherwise,” Tengku Adnan said.

He was also looking into the recent action by 13 Umno branch leaders in Teluk Kemang who had demanded Najib to step down.

“They shouldn’t voice such matters in the open as it will only tarnish the party and the president. Say it behind closed doors ... please don’t destroy the party,” he said.

Najib had dropped Muhyiddin and Shafie, who was the rural and regional development minister, from the Cabinet in July. Since then, there had been much discontent within the party. This was further fuelled by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad’s series of criticism against Najib and his administration.

Muhyiddin and Shafie had joined Mahathir and three other senior politicians as they urged the government to denounce Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 following the detention of Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan and his lawyer Matthias Chang over reports they lodged over 1MDB.