KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — The tenuous alliance between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) propping up the Anwar administration may not last for long because of Parti Amanah Negara, Umno supreme council member Datuk Puad Zarkashi said today.
The Johor state lawmaker claimed that the ties were being tested by the PH component party’s rejection of Umno’s calls for a royal pardon for convicted former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“That’s why it’s hard to be good friends with PAN,” the Rengit assemblyman wrote on his Facebook account, referring to Amanah by its Malay acronym.
He claimed that Amanah is a “friend that cannot guarantee the Unity Government can last”, adding that it is an ally that “eats” its partners.
Puad was responding to recent news reports citing Amanah deputy president Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub’s entreaty to respect the law and communication director Khalid Samad’s call to reject pardon bids for Najib.
The Umno man who is also Johor State Assembly Speaker asserted that his party abides by the laws.
He said his party had followed the due process when it applied for a pardon, and did not make a fuss when the Pardons Board did not discuss Najib’s case when it met two days ago.
Instead, he claimed it was Amanah that did not follow the order of things.
“The problem is PAN for pressuring the Agong to reject Najib’s pardon. Umno only expressed its support.
“PAN has insulted the Agong’s discretion. PAN, which is pressuring, clearly questions the Agong’s wisdom,” Puad said.
Khalid was previously reported saying that Najib should not be pardoned to protect Malaysia’s international reputation and its commitment to fight corruption and power abuse under the Anwar administration.
Najib has served just eight months of his 12-year jail sentence after being found guilty of misappropriating RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB.
He is still on trial for a slew of other charges in relation to the scandal-tainted sovereign investment fund.
