JOHOR BAHARU, March 5 — The reformation of Umno will not be affected even though former senior leaders of the country are involved in the Citizen’s Declaration, said Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

Instead, he described such a move as not unusual and among the challenges that needed to be experienced by every party, especially the ruling party and their leaders.

The ability of party leaders to overcome such challenges would make the party stronger, he said after visiting Allied Dairy Sdn Bhd at the Larkin Industrial Area, here today.

Ahmad Shabery, who is also Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, was commenting on the latest anti-Najib campaign led by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who issued a so-called Citizen’s Declaration in a move to oust Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the prime minister. Recalling the history of Umno’s leadership, Ahmad Shabery said such challenges are not something new and had happened during Dr Mahathir’s time.

Ahmad Shabery said there were three methods that could be used to change the prime minister, namely through the electoral process, Parliament or within the prime minister’s own party but not outside the system.

“During Dr Mahathir’s time, he was opposed and asked to step down by various parties both from inside and outside the party. That is something that can be expected  by anyone in Umno,” he said.

Yesterday, 58 people, among them Dr Mahathir, his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and their son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, signed the declaration.

The others included Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Datuk Mustafa Ali, Lim Kit Siang and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, in Larkin, another Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin said the party need to take stern action against Muhyiddin, who was deputy prime minister until he was dropped by Najib during a Cabinet reshuffle in July last year.

Hamzah said the move by Muhyiddin and Dr Mahathir was just for their own personal interests.

“Muhyiddin was Umno’s deputy president and a Cabinet member...he should use the correct channels to express dissatisfaction and not by joining the opposition to topple the prime minister. “He willingly conspired with the opposition against prime minister. This is something that can’t be accepted by any Umno member,” he told reporters after launching Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dendang parent-teacher association meeting here. — Bernama