Only communists, parties with weak leaders track members, says Ku Li

Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says organisations with weak leaders want to make sure their members toe the line. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, October 29, 2015.

It is normal for communist parties and organisations with weak leaders to track its members to ensure that they toed the line, said veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

When asked for his comments on Umno investigating seven unknown members for disciplinary breaches, the Gua Musang MP said: "All organisations have rules and regulations. Organisations like trade unions and communist parties also have such rules.

"They investigate, track the movements (of members), particularly organisations with weak leaders, they want to make sure they follow them," he told reporters outside Parliament today.

However, Tengku Razaleigh, more popularly known as Ku Li, remained coy when asked if he thought Umno was weak.

"I didn't say anything. The English would say, 'you are putting words in my mouth'," he said with a smile.

He also refused to be drawn on questions regarding whether Umno had become less tolerant of criticism.

"Well, I suppose they have their own way of doing things, each organisation would like to see people following the the rules, that's only natural," he said.

He added that parties needed to tolerate those with different views as this was one of the ways a party could be straightened.

Tengku Razaleigh recently appeared in a press conference with several senior Umno leaders including former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, to denounce Putrajaya's usage of a new security law, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), to silent critics.

Dr Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Shafie have been critical of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal and some RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal accounts.

Yesterday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor warned that seven Umno leaders faced suspension after publicly disparaging the party.

However, he did not reveal the identities of the seven.

Tengku Razaleigh said today he did not know if he was one of the seven currently in danger of being suspended for openly disparaging the party, but added that he was prepared for any eventualities.

"I don't know, I leave it to fate. I'm prepared to face anything, I've been in the party longer than any of those people who are there. I've been in Parliament longer than anybody in Parliament," said the former finance minister who has been an MP since 1974.

He confirmed he had heard of a plot to oust Muhyiddin but was unsure of its authenticity.

- TMI