KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — Umno’s current disintegration is the result of alleged abuses under Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang who added that the former party president’s resignation may be the only way to salvage the dying political giant.
Seizing on Najib’s attempt yesterday to defend Umno’s leadership over the exodus of lawmakers from the party, the Iskandar Puteri MP noted that those leaving have complained that there were no efforts to reform the party since its general election defeat.
“Najib is shedding crocodile’s tears as he has single-handedly destroyed Umno by his kleptocratic rule and the monstrous 1MDB corruption and money-laundering scandal as well as the other 1MDB-like scandals in Tabung Haji, Felda, Felcra, MARA…
“The expulsion of Najib from Umno may be the only step to save Umno from total extinction although even this step may be too late,” Lim said in a statement.
Umno bled another six federal lawmakers yesterday, shortly after it lost all its federal and state lawmakers in Sabah save for Datuk Bung Moktar Radin and Tan Sri Musa Aman.
Since June 24, a total of 17 MPs from the once dominant Barisan Nasional (BN) component party have either pledged their allegiance to Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties or chose to remain independent.
The party that once commanded as many as 109 parliamentary seats in 2004 is now left with just 37 seats in the federal legislature and is believed to be in danger of losing up to another 20 soon.
