‘Audio clip a ploy to weaken Umno’

PETALING JAYA: The leaked audio clip purportedly between PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is a ploy to split and weaken Umno, says its leaders.

Johor Umno deputy chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (pic) believes it was the work of certain parties to weaken Umno, with the ultimate aim to get the party deregistered.

“Why are they still attacking our president when the Umno general assembly has already made clear our direction and political cooperation?

“I think this is just a move to weaken the party and a precursor to deregister Umno, ” he said yesterday.

The audio clip, purportedly sounded like Ahmad Zahid’s and Anwar’s voices, went viral on Wednesday.

Nur Jazlan said it will be a waste of time to discuss the audio clip as the party had already decided on its cooperation during the next general election.

Former Selangor Umno information chief Datuk Zein Isma Ismail said the emergence of the audio clip was meant to cause disunity among party members.

Perlis Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the police should probe the audio clip to ensure the president could clear his name and reputation.

“We do not want anyone to smear the good image of our party president, ” he said, adding that he planned to lodge a police report as his name was mentioned in the recording.

Meanwhile, Bersatu vice-president Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen told Anwar not to drag Bersatu into the issue.

Mohd Rafiq said Anwar’s remarks showed he was desperate and was just using Bersatu as a “scapegoat”.

Anwar had earlier said the audio recording was a tactic by Bersatu to bring down Umno after Umno announced it would stop cooperating with Bersatu once the election is called.

Mohd Rafiq said talk of cooperation between the two leaders had emerged a while ago when a purported letter signed by Ahmad Zahid and former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak backing the Opposition leader was circulated.

Both Ahmad Zahid and Anwar have instructed their officers to lodge police reports over the audio clip.