Don’t step on Najib while he’s down, Zahid tells Johari

Former premier Najib Abdul Razak should still be respected even though he is no longer in power, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"If our friend who used to be rich is now poor or who used to be in power is no longer in power, he should still be respected.

"And in that situation, even if you have different opinions, there are better and more appropriate ways of expressing it.

"For me, one should not step on someone when he is down (jangan pijak kepalaseseorang apabila tengkuk telah berada di paras buah pinggang)," he told reporters outside the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to former Umno minister Johari Abdul Ghani, who said it was a mistake to allow Najib to campaign in the Sungai Kandis by-election.

He said the corruption charges against Najib could result in a negative perception of Umno.

Besides, he said, the past Umno president's tenure is over and the party should move ahead and change after the 14th general election.

Najib had campaigned for BN candidate Lokman Noor Adam. The latter lost to PKR's Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni.

Earlier, Zahid said it was Lokman who invited Najib to campaign for him in the by-election.

-Mkini