Up to other states to follow Kelantan Declaration on Najib, says DPM

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it is up to other states if they want to follow Kelantan's example to sign a declaration in support of embattled Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"It's up to the states to follow," he said when asked if he thinks other states should sign similar declarations of support.

"This (the Kelantan Declaration) is basically to emphasise support for the prime minister, not just as the prime minister but also as the chairperson of BN," Ahmad Zahid said briefly at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

On Thursday, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah along with other state BN representatives signed the declaration to express unwavering support for Najib in the face of growing calls for the PM to step down.

Umno information chief Annuar Musa, who announced this, also said the declaration was signed during a meeting between Najib and Kelantan BN leaders.

Annuar added the Kelantan BN leaders also presented a list of demands from the rakyat to the prime minister during the meeting.

This comes several weeks after Najib's fiercest critics, former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, joined hands with his political arch enemies to sign the Citizen's Declaration calling for Najib's ouster.

Since last year Najib had been embroiled in scandal surrounding his brainchild 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposited in his personal accounts.

The prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and the government insists the RM2.6 billion was a donation from the Middle East to Umno.

In January, the attorney-general announced that he would not pursue charges against Najib in relation to the deposits, saying investigations purportedly show the donation was from Saudi Arabia. -Mkini