'Is Zahid's return to save Najib's losing grip on Umno?'

Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang has questioned whether Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is to be a proxy for former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in making his return from garden leave to resume his post as the Umno president.

"Will Zahid now lead Umno to demonstrate remorse, contrition or repentance among Umno leaders?

"Or his return from the garden leave is merely to ensure that Umno is nothing but a ‘Bossku’ outfit, with him playing the role of ‘Bossku’ proxy, as Najib senses that he might lose control of Umno?" Lim asked in a statement today.

Zahid made the announcement yesterday, in conjunction with the first anniversary of him being elected as Umno president.

"So the one year is significant and important to me, hence on June 30, 2019, I wish to announce that I am ending my (garden) leave today.

“This means, beginning today, I will resume my role as Umno president,” Zahid said.

Lim noted Najib's defence for Zahid when the former Umno president said Zahid does not require the consent of the party's supreme council to make his return.

"Zahid made the personal decision to go on garden leave and, according to the party constitution, he has the right to lead Umno during the period he has been mandated to.

"That period is still ongoing. Hence, the question of his returning to serve as president is subject to his own decision. He does not need the agreement of the supreme council or any other party," Najib had said yesterday.

Najib's statement differed from that of former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who stressed that Zahid should first seek the opinion of the Umno supreme council before announcing his return.

Lim also questioned whether Zahid would resume the role of parliamentary opposition leader.

For the record, the current opposition leader in Parliament is Bera MP Ismail Sabri, who is also an Umno vice-president.

"Will Zahid resume the role of parliamentary opposition leader or will he concede that the Umno president need not be the Umno leader in Parliament?" Lim further asked in his statement. - Mkini