KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Former Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said today that his loyalty is with Umno, hinting however that he might join Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia if they persist in courting him.
National news agency Bernama quoted the Kijai state assemblymen as making the claim openly at the Kemaman Umno division meeting today, saying that former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had invited him to join Parti Pribumi, while former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had allegedly offered him a position as a top council member.
“For now, I would like to observe first. I have not replied them...but don’t know until when. If they continue to persist, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist,” he was quoted saying in his speech.
Ahmad said that apart from Parti Pribumi, he was also offered to join PAS, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), but had turned down the offers as he did not want to betray Umno.
He reportedly said that he would stay on with Umno to see how party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would settle the ongoing political turmoil in the state.
“Najib promised to make changes. I am still an Umno member...I am not revengeful but just don’t wake the sleeping tiger,” he was quoted saying.
Ties between Ahmad Said and his successor Ahmad Razif have been strained after the Kemaman Umno division chief was forced to step down as mentri besar in May 2014.
Ahmad Said and two other state Umno assemblymen then quit the party, which resulted in Barisan Nasional (BN) becoming a minority government in Terengganu for a brief 48 hours that ended only after Najib intervened. The three rebels subsequently rejoined Umno.
Last March, Ahmad Said sought to table a motion of no-confidence against Ahmad Razif in the state assembly but was refused by Terengganu Speaker Datuk Mohd Zubir Embong.
Umno holds 17 seats in the 32-seat Terengganu state legislative assembly while opposition parties PAS and PKR have 14 and one, respectively.
