KAJANG: Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has shot his harshest criticism yet at party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying he is “embarrassed” over the decision to join a presidential council made up of members of the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
This is because he said Barisan Nasional was not a member of Perikatan Nasional.
“I am embarrassed or find it very strange for him (Zahid) to have accepted to be in the presidential council because Umno is not a member of PN,” he told reporters after a forum, here.
He further asked Zahid “Where (How) does Umno come in? Umno doesn’t come in at all.”
He said when Umno allowed a few of its members who were selected to be ministers in Muhyiddin’s Cabinet, the move was to stabilise the political cirisis the country was facing earlier this year.
“That’s about all. And we thought after the stability of the political scene, Umno (inaudible) should withdraw from the Cabinet.
“That was the idea. Not to be there forever,” he said.
A week ago, parties in the government, comprising components of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) all agreed to form a presidential council.
The council comprises the leaders of each party.
The decision to set up the presidential council was agreed to by party leaders including Prime Minister and PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang among others.
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