Mahdzir Khalid: Move meant to strengthen Kedah Umno

ALOR SETAR: There is no personal agenda in Kedah Umno’s call for the Prime Minister to make an immediate change to the state leadership. 

Education Minister and Padang Terap MP Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (pic), who was not at the press conference at the Grand Alora Hotel earlier on Wednesday, told Bernama that the announcement by state Umno deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah had the consensus of all the state Umno assemblymen and MPs.

"There is no personal agenda except for the desire to strengthen the state Umno," he said.

Mahdzir added that he was of the view that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should resolve the matter immediately for the good of the party.

At a press conference earlier, Ahmad Bashah, along with party division leaders, had appealed to Najib to make an immediate change to the state leadership, claiming a loss of confidence in the leadership of Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.

“The entire Kedah Umno leadership and elected representatives have gathered to declare that we have lost our trust and confidence in the leadership of Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as Kedah Umno chief as well as Kedah Mentri Besar,” said Ahmad Bashah, reading from a statement.

The statement explained that this loss of trust was due to a number of reasons, including Mukhriz’s alleged inability to unite the party leadership and machinery at all levels in the state.