The friction within Umno appears to have escalated with two of its MPs engaging in a shouting match with each other at the Parliament lobby, in full view of the media this afternoon.
The incident occurred after Kuala Krau MP Ismail Mohamed Said confronted Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman over photographs of his daughter that Tajuddin had circulated.
Ismail complained that Tajuddin had painted him as organising a gathering to support "another leader" when, in fact, they were his friends who were visiting his sick daughter.
Ismail, upon spotting Tajuddin at the Parliament lobby, cried out: "Bangang (Idiot)! This is the Umno-BN leader... Idiot!"
Tajuddin then turned around and called Ismail "Bodoh!" (Stupid) which further riled up Ismail, who angrily approached his party colleague.
"What? You are the one that is stupid. Stupid! If you dare, bring it on!
"You made viral a picture of my sick child... you sent a picture of my child... stupid! You are so stupid. You wait..," he shouted.
Several people, including political aides and security personnel, tried to separate both the MPs.
As Ismail approached him, Tajuddin walked away but continued to taunt him.
"What's wrong with sending pictures? People send all kind of pictures. Enough. You want to show that you are fierce. Stupid, people call it stupid," Tajuddin said.
After Tajuddin disappeared from sight, Ismail told the media why he was upset.
"He made an issue with pictures of my friends visiting my daughter. He alleged I was making a pact to support another leader. How can he do that? It's not right," he said.
Ismail did not elaborate on who he meant by "another leader".
After Ismail left the scene, Tajuddin returned to the lobby, also to speak to the media.
He downplayed the confrontation as a "misunderstanding".
"Just a misunderstanding between friends. That’s all. Friends, (the issue is) resolved. What more? Why you all so interested?" he said.
Tajuddin not invited to Azmin's home
Yesterday, Tajuddin had complained that he was not among the Umno MPs invited to Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali's official residence in Putrajaya on Monday night.
"I was not invited. Nobody likes me, so I am not invited," he had said.
He had also criticised Umno MPs who were at the meeting with Azmin, who is the PKR deputy president.
"I think it's not quite right for Umno MPs to go to Azmin's house without informing the party leadership and president.
"We already made a decision at the supreme council level that any meeting or discussion with outside parties or the government should be mandated by the party president," Tajuddin had said.
Ismail was among at some 22 Umno MPs present at Azmin's residence. At least five PKR MPs were also involved in the meeting, including Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and Deputy Transport Minister Kamarudin Jaffar.
Azmin, who was yesterday quizzed on the meeting, was coy about its purpose. After being pressed, he said it was a "normal meeting" but he "couldn't remember" who organised the gathering at his own residence.
The meeting came just two days after Harapan's landslide defeat in the Tanjung Piai by-election.
Some Harapan grassroots leaders have blamed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the coalition's devastating loss and are suggesting that he hands over power to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.
However, Azmin had come out strongly in support of Mahathir and asked Harapan to rally behind him.
This was amid continued speculation that Azmin was working with former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also the Sembrong MP, to recruit MPs with the aim of blocking Anwar from succeeding Mahathir as prime minister.
Hishammuddin was also present during the Monday night meeting. Umno supreme council leader Lokman Noor Adam accused Hishammuddin of marshalling the Umno MPs for Azmin and called it a betrayal.
Hishammuddin has denied any role in it and said he was prepared to face disciplinary action.
Other Umno grassroots leaders have also criticised MPs from the party who attended the meeting with Azmin. - Mkini
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