Dr M, Umno backers should be punished over anti-Najib campaign, division leaders say

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — A group of Umno division vice-chairmen today urged their leaders and Putrajaya to penalise Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and party members behind the campaign to unseat Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

At a press conference here, the group called the 1Malaysia Umno division vice-chairmen’s club also expressed their objections to Dr Mahathir’s “Citizens’ Declaration” which, among others, calls for Najib’s removal.

Club president Datuk Mohammad Anuar Yunus said the Umno supreme council should sack leaders like suspended deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and Tan Sri Sanusi Junid for backing Dr Mahathir and the opposition in their “unconstitutional” cause.

As for Dr Mahathir, Anuar said the federal government should strip the country’s longest serving former prime minister of his positions in several government-linked companies.

“We want the government to use its powers and remove Dr Mahathir from Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana, Petronas and Proton.

“As for Muhyiddin, Mukhriz and Tan Sri Sanusi, we want the supreme council to strip them off their memberships,” he told a packed press conference before handing over a memorandum on the club’s demands to a representative from Umno’s headquarters here

Mohd Anuar, who is Temerloh Umno vice-chairman, also said that his club wants the party supreme council to weed out members in support of Najib’s removal.

Asked if this meant the club only wanted “yes men” in the party, Mohd Annuar denied this, and said members were allowed to express their dissatisfaction but through the right channels.

“They can always bring their grouses to the branch, division or even the supreme council meetings.

“We are just sad that these leaders openly brought their grouses on a platform that was evidently aimed at bringing down Datuk Seri Najib in an unconstitutional way so that they can replace him with Mukhriz,” he said.

Anuar added that his club felt disgusted with Dr Mahathir and the Umno leaders for aligning themselves with the opposition and government dissidents to remove Najib.

“Some of these activists fight for apostasy, LGBT, abolishment of Shariah criminal laws and stripping off the special rights of Bumiputeras,” he said, adding that these are against Umno’s principles.

Last Friday, old enemies in politics and human rights activists banded with Dr Mahathir to push for Najib to be replaced.

The group signed Dr Mahathir’s “Citizens’ Declaration”, which, apart from seeking Najib’s resignation, also expressed concern over the controversies surrounding state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the RM2.6 billion political donation fiasco.