Removing Najib won't cause Umno's downfall: Mahfuz

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar has dismissed concerns that supporting the Citizens' Declaration to remove Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was tantamount to affirming Umno’s rule over the nation.

When contacted, Mahfuz told Malaysiakini that former Kedah menteri besar Muhkriz Mahathir had made a factual statement in saying that Najib’s replacement could only be by Umno’s ranks.

“I understand his (Mukhriz)’s statement. It is a factual statement. He is trying to convince Umno members that removing Najib will not result in the party’s downfall,” said Mahfuz.

He was asked for comments on Mukhriz’s statement that the Citizens Declaration signed last Friday was aimed at replacing Najib with another prime minister from the ruling coalition.

Mukhriz had also argued that this was because BN still controlled the majority of seats in the Dewan Rakyat in the event that there was a vote held for Najib’s replacement.

On criticism that endorsing a continued Umno rule would hamper attempts to push for long-term institutional reforms, Mahfuz said: “That is not for certain. It is also not for certain who will be appointed as Najib’s successor.”

“The process to appoint a new prime minister is a normal process. Let the process be held via a secret ballot (among elected MPs),” he said.

In an earlier statement, Mahfuz had similarly dismissed statements from Umno leaders who argued that any party out to remove the prime minister should wait until the next general election.

“What a foolish statement. There is no need to wait and go through an election to change the PM. It is enough if the PM resigns, loses majority support of the MPs or dies.

“Mahathir, Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) and Najib became PM not through general elections but after the (incumbent) PM resigned,” said Mahfuz.

He reminded the BN MPs that even Mukhriz was eventually removed as menteri besar via a direct petition by Umno state assemblypersons to Kedah's Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, meanwhile, had also reportedly addressed criticisms on how the Citizens' Declaration was supposedly the result of a 'hypocritical' gathering of former sworn enemies.

“I am not supporting Umno. I only worked with a (former) senior Umno leader for 13 years. Of course, I would have had a close personal relationship with Dr Mahathir.

“But this is not about me or Mahathir. This (the declaration) is to save the country,” the Selangor menteri besar was quoted by Berita Harian after flagging off a women’s marathon event this morning.

Malaysiakini had reported yesterday that while the document was originally drafted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, with emphasis on issues surrounding Najib and debt-ridden state-owned company 1MDB, the final 37-paragraph declaration had been amended to incorporate concerns from various interest groups. -Mkini