Umno has one captain, Zahid flexes muscles

UMNO AGM | Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has flexed his muscles by telling his party that there is only one captain on the ship of Umno.

Speaking to 2,897 delegates at the Umno General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in the Kuala Lumpur today, he said the "captain" was assisted by the ship's "officers" and "crew members".

"If the ship's cargo is the faith, then the journey is the piety. When we have sincerity as our compass, definitely we will be safe in our voyage," he said.

Zahid then urged Umno members to stay away from factional politics.

"If we don't get what we like, then learn to like what we have. Cruising in the same direction, but with different routes, is better than heading a different way from the same route," he said.

"Avoid from becoming someone who enjoys forming camps and causing disunity (in the party)," Zahid added, without naming names.

Najib Abdul Razak quit as Umno president in May 2019 following the defeat of BN in the 14th general election. Zahid then took over as acting party president before being elected as party president in June 2018.

However, Zahid took leave between December 2018 and June 2019 after being slapped with multiple corruption charges. Deputy president Mohamad Hasan served as acting president during the six months.

There were also calls for the Umno leaders who faced criminal charges to step down so the party could start with a clean slate.

But Najib then made a comeback with his "Bossku" moniker, re-emerging as a popular figure in Umno with the delegates passionately greeting and cheering his arrival at the PWTC's Dewan Merdeka today (above).

Last month, Najib's cousin and former Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein was said to have led 22 Umno lawmakers to meet PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

Speculation was rife that Hishammuddin was attempting to form a government without DAP and Amanah.

Hishammuddin has denied the existence of such a plot while the MPs claimed that the meeting was merely about economic matters and allocations for their constituencies.

Branding disloyal leaders as "hopping reptiles", Zahid has threatened not to field them as candidates in the next general election.  - Mkini