KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 ― The Johor Umno leadership has distanced itself from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saying it supports the leadership of its incumbent party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The state party leadership also urged the public to stop seeing its members as backing Dr Mahathir’s call for Najib’s resignation, saying it will not support the “wrong leader”, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported today.
“Umno will not defend the wrong leader. He is speaking based on his emotions and should plant his feet on the ground,” Johor Umno information chief Datuk Samsol Bari Jamali was quoted as saying, referring to Dr Mahathir.
“He cannot accuse the wrong person. We, the grassroot Umno members, cannot bear being blamed all the time. It's not fair for him to say that.”
Samsol added that Johor Umno leaders want continuous development in their home state.
“Together, we will continue to defend everything we own so that development can be carried out and be enjoyed by the next generation.
“This is because we don't want what we have to stop just like that, so we're consistent and will increase our efforts to defend it,” he was quoted saying.
Johor Umno leaders had previously told Malay Mail Online that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s removal was not well-received as the Muar-born still commanded a sizeable grassroots support in his home state, which also happens to be Umno’s birthplace.
Muhyiddin was one of the Umno leaders who as present at Dr Mahathir's Save Malaysia movement over the weekend which was aimed at garnering support from the public, in a bid to pressure Najib to resign.
