Najib: I did not instruct Umno to court Harapan MPs

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak said today that he was not involved in an apparent move to court Pakatan Harapan MPs to form a coalition with Umno immediately after the May 9 election. 

"If others did it, I wouldn't know. But, on that night, there were no instructions from me (to do so)," he said. 

Najib said this when asked to respond to claims by his successor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that Malay-Muslim Harapan MPs received such overtures in the immediate aftermath of BN's loss in the May 9 elections. 

"There was a fear that our coalition was not going to respect the position of Islam as much as the previous government had. 

"So, there was an idea that if the Muslims all came together – the new opposition were largely Muslim, with Umno and PAS – they could drag other Muslims (from our coalition), have the majority and form a Malay-Muslim government, but they were advised against that," he reportedly told the Mekong Review last month.  

The premier alleged that this had contributed to the delay in the announcement of Harapan's victory that night. 

Accepting results

Meanwhile, Rembau MP and former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters that he was unaware of events described by Mahathir. 

"I don't know what the prime minister meant. I was with Najib on that night after the results for Rembau was announced. I was at Najib's residence (in Kuala Lumpur). 

"There were no efforts by Najib, (his then-deputy) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishammuddin Hussein, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and I to entice MPs (to join Umno).

"Najib said clearly that we must accept the results, and that the following day, we would announce that BN accepted the election results. The appointment of the prime minister would be left to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he said.

Khairy declined to speculate if Mahathir's remarks were an attempt to slander BN. 

"I am not sure what information the prime minister has. I can only speak based on what I saw and heard. I was with Najib (that night). What people did beyond Najib's residence, I am not sure of," he said. 

Khairy added that had there been an attempt to persuade rival MPs to cross over, there would have been efforts to gain permission from the top. 

"It was clear there were no efforts to buy over MPs or plans to cause chaos or riots," he said. 

'Distracting from Icerd'

Meanwhile, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said he has not heard about efforts from PAS to draw Malay-Muslim Harapan lawmakers to their side after the general election.

He also believes that Mahathir is only bringing up this issue now as a distraction from the ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

“I think this issue is to distract from the Icerd issue which has drawn the rakyat’s ire.

“I don’t think there is any point in raising this issue because it is now an academic matter.

“It is better for us to focus on the country’s future than for us to discuss something that is history,” he said to reporters at Parliament today.

He also questioned the rationale of representatives from the winning coalition jumping to another coalition.

“Rationally, that is illogical,” he said. - Mkini