PETALING JAYA: Even before the dust can settle on the Perak menteri besar issue, Umno’s Nur Jazlan Mohamed has again stoked the fires.
The party’s Johor deputy chairman said the transfer of power in Perak has revealed PPBM to be a “weak” party that clings on to Umno.
Speaking to FMT, Jazlan said because of this, the party’s grassroots should not be “emotional” and get carried away by Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s apology to PPBM and PAS’ leadership over the confidence vote in the Perak state assembly.
The vote saw PPBM’s Ahmad Faizal Azumu being removed as menteri besar last Friday.
“We have got the menteri besar (post), and what is important is that the PPBM menteri besar who had the support of the elected representatives has resigned,” said Jazlan.
“People in Umno need to see the facts and not be swayed by emotion. Finally, (Umno) has shown that PPBM is weak and now clings onto Umno,” added the Umno Supreme Council member.
Nur Jazlan was asked about Zahid’s apology on behalf of Perak’s BN assemblymen following Faizal’s ouster.
During the vote of confidence, 24 of the 25 Umno assemblymen did not support Faizal.
Nur Jazlan said Zahid’s willingness to apologise should be seen from a different angle.
“The apology was to defuse the situation and solve the menteri besar crisis. Now it is done,” said Jazlan.
The apology was carried in a joint statement signed by BN secretary- general Annuar Musa, PPBM secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin and PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan yesterday.
The apology was seen by some parties as an admission of wrongdoing against PPBM and Faizal which forced the transfer of power in the state.
Perak Umno chief and Kota Tampan assemblyperson Saarani Mohamad was sworn in as the state’s 14th menteri besar yesterday.
Saarani was picked to replace Faizal, who resigned with his state executive council members last Saturday, a day after losing the no-confidence vote.
Nur Jazlan said PPBM chairman Muhyiddin Yassin should also apologise to Umno as the Perak menteri besar crisis was due to PPBM’s weakness. Nur Jazlan claimed PPBM was also weak in Johor.
“In Johor, PPBM sent two of its leaders to become menteris besar and both failed. But (Johor Umno chief) Hasni Mohammad, who is now menteri besar, can be sure of support for himself even with a majority of just two seats,” said Jazlan.
“Ahmad Faizal was Perak menteri besar for almost three years, under the PH and PN governments. How can he still not have support?
“In the end, it took Umno to solve the problem.”
Meanwhile, Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz said Zahid’ s apology was not an issue at all.
“Islam demands that we apologise if we do something wrong. It does not worsen the relationship but improves it. For me, the Umno president’s actions must be praised. It is not easy to apologise,” Nazri told FMT.
“If a person apologises, it is to improve the situation instead of making it worse.
“The important thing is that we want to be in power in a state where we have many elected representatives,” he said.