Ismail Kassim blames 'weak' Zahid, Hisham for Perlis MB crisis

Tambun Tulang state assemblyperson Ismail Kassim believes that the ongoing menteri besar crisis in Perlis is due to the "weak" leadership of acting Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein. 

Ismail said the two have failed to deliver, despite BN having just two states to govern after the recent general election.

"This weakness is due to the weak party leadership after (former Umno president) Najib Abdul Razak resigned. Hishammuddin and Zahid have not fulfilled the leadership criteria so far.

"They can't even solve the problem of such a small state," Ismail told Malaysiakini.

Ismail did not even discount the possibility of not voting for the two in the next party election.

"Maybe my friends and I in the next Umno party election will think of new people to lead Umno."

Look for winners

Ismail suggested that Zahid to look for those who had won in the election for assistance, to ensure that he does not repeat Najib's mistakes.

"If Zahid wants to return to power and become a respectable leader, he should not look for those who lost in the election," he added.

Perlis plunged into a political turmoil after Azlan Man was sacked from Umno just hours after being sworn in as menteri besar.

State Umno chief Shahidan Kassim and nine BN assemblypersons in the state had refused to back Azlan, and boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.

Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin yesterday said that he did not appoint Shahidan's brother Ismail as Perlis menteri besar because he feared that the state government would be a "puppet" to others.

This was believed to be a veiled swipe at Shahidan, whom the monarch said should have contested a state seat if he wanted to be menteri besar.

Ismail, however, denied being a puppet, and withdrew his name as menteri besar candidate.

He also urged the Raja of Perlis to pick someone who is neither him nor Azlan for the post. - Mkini