KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has admitted that Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub’s resignation as the chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is an indication of Umno’s dissatisfaction with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
He said the resignation is merely the tip of the iceberg, with likely more to follow.
“What Datuk Jazlan did was a trigger and he is an Umno MP.
“Without Umno MPs, Perikatan Nasional (PN) cannot stand alone,” he said.
He added that Jazlan’s move was also a decision indicating his non-support of the government.
“So that is one less number, if it is true,” Tajuddin told reporters during a press conference today, indicating that the matter will be brought to the supreme council.
In a statement today, Jazlan who is Machang MP said he had tendered his resignation as the MPOB chairman to the plantation and commodities minister.
It was reported that Jazlan said he was ready to resign if PN does not dissolve Parliament by the end of January.
When asked if Umno plans to leave PN, Tajuddin said this matter had not arisen.
However, he said during the division level meetings over the weekend, many had voiced their rejection of Bersatu.
“That is the political situation now. Those who were present were grassroots and they have expressed their opinions of not wanting to work with Bersatu,” he said.
On a collaboration between Barisan Nasional, DAP and PKR, Tajuddin did not dismiss this possibility.
“Anything is possible in politics, you cannot rule it out. To me, nothing is impossible,” he said.
