KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — The Umno supreme council has decided that Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should continue in his current capacity, the party president said after a meeting in Johor over the weekend.
He also said that the party will not shut down despite repeated calls from Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for it to do so, New Straits Times reported.
“In the Supreme Council (MT) meeting last night, the issue of whether I should take leave did arise but the MT has decided that I should not disrupt the continuity.
“Despite attempts to woo our members, many are still with us,” he was quoted saying in Johor Baru yesterday.
The Bagan Datuk MP was also reported saying Umno is more than just a registered political party for Malays but a “social institution that does not neglect other races in the country”.
He gave his assurance that Umno is still focused on reform.
“As I said before, there are some mistakes that needed to be fixed and the process will commence. Don’t burn down our own house which we have stayed in for so long.
“If the roof leaks, we will fix it, if the wall cracks, we will replace it with a new one and if the floor is damaged, we will make a new one. All this is to ensure that our house will continue to stay upright in all its magnificence. After all, the pillars, all 48 of them, are still strong,” he was quoted saying.
Ahmad Zahid reportedly took a swipe at Dr Mahathir who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman, claiming the former Umno president whose political career was launched through the party but was now calling for its demise was “like someone who has forgotten his roots”.
