Amanah tells Najib to chill, 'they may ask for PM post next'

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not get agitated about requests for a chief minister's post, says an Amanah leader, saying he may even face requests for the prime minister's post in future.

Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub said that Najib revealing the allegation that a former Sabah leader had asked him for the CM post was an act of “desperation”.

“Najib should learn to control his emotions, because there may be those among Umno's top leadership who may ask for the prime minister's seat from him in the near future.

“It is believed the crisis in Umno has not come to a halt even with the removal of (former Umno deputy president) Muhyiddin Yassin's group several months ago.

“The purge is apparently not entirely successful, there are several pro-Muhyiddin ministers and menteri besar who have played safe and kept quiet,” said Salahuddin in a statement.

The Amanah leader alluded to an allleged “power struggle” within the Umno leadership,  an “open secret” that he said is plaguing the ruling party.

“The people would not be surprised if any influential individual comes up to Najib and asks for the PM's post to be handed to someone new to ensure the survival of Umno, which is being plagued by all sorts of mega scandals that are an embarrasment to the people and the country,” he said.

Yesterday, Najib while speaking in Sandakan, claimed that a former federal minister who now heads an opposition political party, had once requested to be appointed as the chief minister of Sabah.

The prime minister said the request highlighted the personal ambition of the former minister.

"I feel personal ambitions should not override the struggle for the people," Najib added.

He was likely referring to former rural and regional development minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, who has quit to form his own party.

Shafie, who is now Parti Warisan Sabah president, denied the allegation saying he had never harboured such ambitions and had once rejected the offer from Najib.- Mkini