KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has seemingly hit out at senior party member Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for siding with the Opposition, saying the latter had disrespected the party and would cause confusion on the party’s stand.
In a Facebook post last night, Shahril, without mentioning names, said he did not understand why a “senior and influential” Umno adviser held a press conference with the Opposition.
On Monday, Tengku Razaleigh — also known as Ku Li — who is also chairman of Umno’s council of advisers, held a press conference with Opposition member and former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Both senior statesmen, who were once political rivals, said they were ready to join forces to form a “unity government” if the Dewan Rakyat failed to pass the Budget 2021 Bill.
“As a young person in the party, I of course respect the older generation. But I really do not understand the need of an Umno MP who is senior, influential and holds the title of adviser — to hold a press conference with the Opposition without hesitation. The effects of which will not be inconsequential.
“Firstly, it causes confusion among the rank and file over what Umno's stand really is. Secondly, it disrespects the discipline of the party which decided to support the Budget. Thirdly, it disrespects party discipline by holding a political press conference with a prominent leader of a Opposition party,” Shahril said.
Shahril added that this could set a bad precedent for the new generation of Umno politicians, and that the act should not become the “new normal” for Umno politics.
“That's why I voiced this out — so that yesterday's incident does not pass as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. It must be stopped.
“Imagine if someone else did the same thing yesterday — what would be the reaction? Or imagine if after this, an Umno MP or leader makes an open movement, calls the media, with the Opposition party, without the permission of the president or supreme council?” he questioned.
Yesterday, the Budget 2021 Bill was passed in its third and final reading, with a three-vote majority.
Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun announced the absence of one MP — believed to be Tengku Razaleigh — when the Opposition called for a bloc voting on the Bill.
