Stop the theatrics, Najib's ex-officer tells Ahmad Zahid

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should "stop the theatrics" over the Pardons Board decision, says Datuk Seri Najib Razak's former officer.

In a Facebook post on Saturday (Feb 3), Isham Jalil, who was a former Umno supreme council member, said that the supreme council meeting convened by Ahmad Zahid to discuss the Pardons Board decision was held to avoid him facing Umno division leaders.

The meeting on Saturday at the Umno headquarters was held after the postponement of a Bumiputra Economic Colloquium Congress which was to be attended by 2,000 Umno delegates from 191 divisions nationwide.

"If the decision of the supreme council today is like this, there was no need for an emergency meeting.

"This wasted the time of the colloquium delegates who came from afar. It is obvious that Ahmad Zahid is afraid to face the grassroots.

"He does not seem to want to take responsibility and put the blame on others.

"Ahmad Zahid, do not blame the King and do not blame others. You are the Umno president and Najib is an Umno leader.

"You are now the Deputy Prime Minister. You should have championed the recommendation for Najib to be fully pardoned before the Pardons Board made a decision and not play the champion now.

"You are saddened, you say? Stop the theatrics," said Isham.

In an earlier Facebook post, he also took a swipe at Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) and Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Azalina Othman for previously saying that she would fight for Najib's freedom but had now gone quiet over the matter.

"Azalina was all talk. She said when we have the power, we should use our powers to defend our leaders.

"Anwar said that he had the support of 150 MPs. Should Umno withdraw their support, Anwar will still be PM and Umno will be an Opposition with principles. We don't have to join any coalition," said Isham.

The Umno supreme council on Saturday decided that it would continue with its efforts to fight for Najib's freedom despite the sentence reduction.

The Pardons Board had announced that Najib's current prison sentence would be halved to six years and fine of RM210mil reduced to RM50mil.