Even Najib bound by Umno rule not to air dirty laundry in public, Muhyiddin told
(MMO) – Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan told Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today that all Umno members, including the president and prime minister, are bound by the supreme council’s rule not to discredit the party leadership publicly.
Abdul Rahman, who is also a member of the supreme council, said members who violate this rule must be prepared to face disciplinary action.
“We instructed for the president and deputy president to make up, work together and not criticise each other in public.
“This was the directive from the supreme council, the highest body of Umno. Even the president is bound to this, what more the deputy president?” he told reporters after launching the National Solid Waste Management Open Day here.
On whether Muhyiddin will know his fate after tomorrow’s supreme council meeting, Abdul Rahman said it was unlikely as disciplinary action requires a longer process.
“We have to go through the process. Tan Sri Muhyiddin is the chairman of the management committee, so everybody [involved] knows the process.
“It’s not like tomorrow is going to be [when the decision is made]. No,” he said.
Another Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said Sunday he will push for Muhyiddin’s suspension if the latter did not stop his criticisms against Najib.
Several supreme council members have since followed suit in calling for the deputy president’s suspension or suggested he resigned if he had lost trust in Najib.
Abdul Rahman also brought up the issue of the growing numbers of Umno branch chiefs calling for Najib’s resignation, saying that the party had tens of thousands of branches and that those making the call were only the minority.
“Don’t talk about 30 branch chiefs that are dissatisfied with the president. If tomorrow, 20,000 branch chiefs express their dissatisfaction with the deputy president, what happens then?” he asked.
“Will he resign?” he posed, referring to Muhyiddin, before including party elder and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his response to Najib’s critics.
“Would Tun finally admit that the party supports the president and not bring this issue up anymore?” Abdul Rahman added.
A group of Umno branch chiefs calling itself the Coalition of Branch Chiefs Malaysia (GKCM) want Najib to step down.
GCKM, which has picked Dr Mahathir as its patron, said it aims to gain the support of 20 to 30 branches per division on raising a motion for the president’s resignation and for party elections to be held.
There are 191 division in Umno nationwide.
