PETALING JAYA: Umno is ready to face the 15th General Election and has dismissed any allegation of a plot to overthrow Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.“We are ready for GE15. Are you ready to be with us?” Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a Facebook posting yesterday.
The posting followed a visit by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to Ahmad Zahid’s home on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Ahmad Zahid said he and Najib did discuss how Umno would face the general election, but it had nothing to do with overthrowing Muhyiddin.
“A new mandate is extremely needed for Muhyiddin.
“Najib came with his brothers Datuk Nizam and Datuk Nazim, as they are also like my siblings. That is all, ” said Ahmad Zahid, brushing off an allegation by Datuk Abdul Kadir Jasin.
The former media adviser to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had asked in a Facebook posting whether Ahmad Zahid’s announcement about his readiness for a general election meant that Umno was trying to engineer one.
Abdul Kadir further questioned whether Umno and Barisan Nasional were ready to bring down Perikatan Nasional, which is headed by Muhyiddin, to “force the 15th General Election to be held earlier”.
Umno and Barisan Nasional are part of the ruling Perikatan government, together with PAS, GPS and several lawmakers from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and former PKR MPs.
Separately, Najib in a Facebook posting yesterday said as the country and the world strove to contain Covid-19, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah had stated that the political situation and the government needed to be stable.
“He asked not to raise political scandals at a time when the nation is facing its biggest economic and health crises, but Pakatan still wants to oust the government by buying over Perikatan MPs.
“Even if Pakatan has enough (MPs), that number would be a slim one and Pakatan 2.0 would not be stable enough. One or two jumps and the government will change hands again, ” he said.
“The King can then use his wisdom and power to dissolve Parliament to solve the country’s political instability.
“At that time, Barisan Nasional will be ready to go down to the ground to battle Pakatan in the general election.
“We support Perikatan until the next GE but if Pakatan creates an issue again, Barisan would be ready for a general election so that political stability can be revived to ensure a stable government to fight and face the crises. Do you understand, Pak Kadir?” Najib said.
-The Star