Ku Li: Zahid not fit to be president if audio is genuine

Tengku Raza­leigh Hamzah. -filepic

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not qualified to hold the Umno president’s post if he indeed spoke to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, says Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

The Umno advisory council chairman said this was because it was inappropriate for Ahmad Zahid to behave in such a manner.

“In my opinion, it is not good. A leader shouldn’t behave this way. He should be more responsible as people had hope in him to lead.

“As for this audio recording, I don’t know if it is true, but it indeed sounds like him.

“If it was true and if he really had such intentions, then he is being irresponsible and does not deserve to stay there (in Umno), ” Tengku Razaleigh was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian.

He was commenting on the emergence of an audio clip that has been widely shared on social media which had two voices similar to his (Ahmad Zahid) and Anwar’s.

The recording was purportedly of a phone conversation between the two leaders who touched on the need to hold an extraordinary Umno supreme council meeting to give the president the mandate to enable him to make the decision to leave the Perikatan Nasional government.

Both Ahmad Zahid and Anwar have denied that it was their voices in the audio clip.

On his recent meeting with Ahmad Zahid and former Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak before the Umno general assembly, Tengku Razaleigh said they came to seek advice.

“He (Ahmad Zahid) and Najib met me to ask if I agreed with the preparations (for the recent Umno general assembly) by both of them.

“I said, please continue as usual because during the Umno AGM, the delegates will usually respect the wishes of the leaders as long as we are sincere and honest.

“They will follow our wishes. So that was my advice. (There was) no specific agenda, ” added Tengku Razaleigh.

Former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said, after repeatedly listening to the leaked audio clip, he believed that it was “100% authentic”.

“I tried to listen to it last night (Wednesday) repeatedly, and as someone who is close to both of them, I can easily recognise the voices.

“I can differentiate whether it is real or not. And to be honest, after listening to it more than 10 times trying to recognise the voices, I am confident it is 100% authentic, ” he added.

Annuar, who has been a strong critic of Ahmad Zahid, said it was disappointing to listen to the content of the audio clip as what was said had gone against the decision made during the recent Umno general assembly.

“I feel betrayed as a delegate (of the Umno assembly), ” said Annuar.

The Umno general assembly on March 28 endorsed the decision for the party to withdraw support for the Perikatan government at any time if there are no indications of a general election in the near future.

It also reiterated its stance that any future cooperation with any political parties will only be made after the general election.