Najib’s popularity worries Muhyiddin, claims Umno man

 

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin (left) is worried that Umno and Barisan Nasional will get more votes in the Johor state elections, said Selangor Umno chief Noh Omar.

KUALA LUMPUR: Attacks by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin on the “court cluster” ahead of the Johor elections reflect his fear that Najib Razak’s popularity could lead to more votes for Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), an Umno leader said today.

Supreme Council member Noh Omar said no one from the so-called “court cluster” was contesting the Johor elections.

“What has the court cluster got to do with the Johor elections?” said Noh, the Selangor BN chairman and state Umno chief.

“There is no connection… Their cases are ongoing in court, so it’s not as though there is any political interference. It is not like when PH (Pakatan Harapan) were in power (and) Lim Guan Eng’s (court) case was dropped,” said Noh.

Noh, the entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister, was speaking to the media after a ceremony marking the 100th year of cooperatives in the country today.

The “court cluster” refers to a group of Umno leaders who are either on trial or have been convicted over charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering. It includes former prime minister Najib and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin claimed that the only way to prevent the group from returning to power was to defeat BN in the Johor elections.

Noh said there was nothing to stop Umno leaders from helping the party’s election campaign.

“What’s wrong if Najib or Zahid want to campaign? Everyone can campaign,” he said.

“Or is it because they (Bersatu) are afraid as more people wanted to support Umno when Najib campaigned in Melaka (for the state elections).” - FMT