KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — Umno is weak because almost a third of the ruling party’s members are “whiners, troublemakers, slanderers”, secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said.

Local daily New Straits Times quoted Tengku Adnan as complaining at a Lembah Pantai Umno division meeting yesterday about critics within Umno who attacked the leadership over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy.

“Why is Umno weak today? It is weak because of its own members,” Tengku Adnan was quoted saying.

“There are 30 per cent of them who are whiners, troublemakers, slanderers and those who subscribe to stories (made up) by the opposition. That is the problem faced by Umno today,” he added.

Tengku Adnan also urged members to have faith in party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is under pressure to resign over corruption allegations involving state-owned 1MDB.

“Believe in him. He is working hard to create changes,” Tengku Adnan reportedly said.

Rifts within Umno grew more visible after Najib dropped his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal—both of whom had been openly critical of the government’s handling of 1MDB—in a sudden Cabinet reshuffle last week.

Muhyiddin, who was replaced by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however said yesterday that he would not stop talking about 1MDB even as he reiterated his loyalty to the party president.