KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has today backed Umno’s decision to consider retracting its support for Perikatan Nasional (PN), saying the decision has the support of the party’s grassroots.
In a lengthy Facebook post justifying the decision, the former Umno president said the party and the Barisan Nasional (BN) pact it is leading have increasingly been made a scapegoat for the apparent failures of the government.
“If we continue to be in the PN government, like it or not, Umno and BN will also continue to be blamed if there are economic decisions that are questionable, or if the economy becomes worse.
“This is despite the fact that there is no one from BN or PAS who is involved in any economic-related decisions,” Najib wrote.
Amid increasing doubt and anger among Umno’s rank-and-file towards the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia-led PN government over its conduct during the Sabah state election last month, he explained how key portfolios are not held by Umno nor BN.
“For example, the prime minister and his successor Azmin are both from Bersatu. The finance minister is neither from BN nor PAS,” he said, referring to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Mohamad Azmin Ali, and Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz, respectively.
“The ministers in charge of economy and international trade are likewise not from BN or PAS. As is for Khazanah and Petronas. In fact, no one from Umno and PAS was appointed to the Economic Action Council to fight Covid-19,” Najib said.
The Pekan MP also highlighted instances in which Umno attempted to argue for certain things, but was routinely ignored by Bersatu.
“We repeatedly said the loan moratorium should be extended or at least to Sabah, which the PN government did not heed. Similarly, the combination of UEM Sunrise with Eco World which Umno has consistently opposed went ahead, leading to the government losing the biggest property company in Malaysia with the most owned land.
“In terms of controlling Covid-19, the National Security Council (NSC) declined to implement the proposal from the health minister, who is from Umno, to carry out mandatory quarantine for those coming from Sabah prior to the state election,” he said, referring to Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
Najib added the NSC’s decision to not require mandatory quarantine in government centres for those returning from abroad, as well as a Bersatu minister’s failure to isolate detainees led to the Sivagangga cluster in Kedah and the situation in Sabah to proliferate, as well as in several other detention centres in Perak and Penang.
“If these mistakes did not occur, there would be no third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia. And now, Umno is being blamed for the third wave at the present.
“Since the formation of the PN government, BN leaders including myself have consistently defended it in spite of the numerous decisions or mistakes made by Bersatu leaders, for that was the promise we made when it was formed,” he said.
Najib said it was this sense of unfairness among Umno members for having to defend the mistakes of others which led to the party’s decision yesterday to reconsider its support for PN and offer new terms of cooperation, as well as register Muafakat Nasional officially as a political party.
“In light of the grassroots sentiments and Umno’s leadership, I feel yesterday’s decision is reasonable and not excessive as it seeks wider and more just space for us to contribute to the economic recovery effort and contain Covid-19.
“And if PN can be registered as a political party, then why not with Muafakat Nasional? This is in line with my answer last month that I am a party man and will fully support its decision even if I may not personally agree, something I discuss internally and not criticise openly,” he said.
In the same post, Najib reiterated that Umno had wanted for a snap general election following the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government.
However, he said Umno was asked to join the formation of the PN government after the Conference of Rulers disagreed with holding the election. He did not state which party had requested for Umno to join the pact.
Najib concluded by saying he is focused on clearing his name in court where he is on trial for corruption during his tenure as prime minister, and as such will not take any governmental or ministerial position until they have been resolved.
After a political bureau meeting yesterday chaired by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said in a statement that Umno is considering to withdraw its support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) pact and will push instead for the effort to register its alliance with Islamist party PAS, Muafakat Nasional, to be registered as an official political entity.