Talk of 35 Umno MPs quitting is just propaganda, says supreme council member

PETALING JAYA: Talk of 35 Umno MPs being prepared to quit the party if it withdraws from the Perikatan Nasional Government is untrue, says supreme council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

Dismissing such rumours as propaganda, Mohd Puad believes that many Umno MPs are divided over the party's stance to leave Perikatan.

According to a report by Sinar Harian on Wednesday (July 7), Puad said there are Umno MPs who did not agree with leaving because they believe that Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is expected to be appointed deputy prime minister.

He also said there were Umno MPs who were forced to sign statutory declarations (SDs) to support Hishammuddin in order to avoid cooperation with DAP.

Puad had been asked to comment on claims that 35 Umno MPs held a meeting at Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur, last Friday and agreed to reject any party orders to withdraw support for Perikatan.

Asked what Umno planned to do next, Puad merely answered: "Wait for the supreme council (decision)."

Umno is having a virtual supreme council meeting at 8.30pm on Wednesday to decide whether it stays with Perikatan.

Another supreme council member, Datuk Khaidhirah Abu Zahar, was quoted by the daily as saying that she had a meeting with party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

However, Khaidhirah, who is also a Puteri Umno exco member, denied that she was ordered to sign an SD to support Umno's decision to pull out from the Perikatan government before Aug 1.

"What is certain is that my meeting with the Umno president is only a pre-supreme council meeting and I was given an opportunity to present my private views about what is happening in the party.

"For me, the meeting was positive because the president gave us space to express our views and he also gave his opinion on the future of the party," she said.