KUALA LUMPUR: Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (pic) has acknowledged that his position as the Opposition Leader is in limbo following Perikatan Nasional’s announcement that a PAS MP would be named for the post.
“Many are asking about my position as Opposition Leader. Will I continue? If you look at the Perikatan chairman’s statement, he said PAS would take over,” he said.
On March 14, Perikatan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the coalition had decided during a supreme council meeting that a PAS MP would be named the new Opposition Leader by the end of this month.
Hamzah told a press conference yesterday that the role of the Opposition Leader in Parliament is determined by the support of MPs, and that a formal resolution is required between him and Ahmad Samsuri.
“It is somewhat hanging there,” he said. Asked whether PAS would continue to support him in the role, Hamzah said: “I do not know whether PAS wants me or not.”
Hamzah was sacked from Bersatu last month following accusations that he had backed moves to oust Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as party president. He shut the door on a return to both his former parties – Bersatu, which he described as an “old, heavy ship”, and Umno. To him, he had already moved past that chapter in his career. “I am already at a traffic light. Either I go forward, or I turn right, or I turn left. There is no going back,” he said.
He described Bersatu as a vessel that has lost its momentum.
“There is no point dragging an old, heavy ship that can barely move when there are newer, more modern ships willing to work together,” he said.
Hamzah’s vision involves a total “reset” of the political landscape, where he sees himself as the primary architect capable of bridging various factions.
“I am an operator – as everyone calls me. I would like to see different ships coming together under one big fleet. I believe I can do that because I can speak with everyone,” he said.
Hamzah also maintained that his personal relationships with other national leaders, such as Umno’s Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS’ Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, remain intact.
He said his ties with Ahmad Zahid date back to their days in Umno Youth in the 1980s, while his cooperation with Abdul Hadi preceded his time in Bersatu.
“How can you operate if you do not know everyone? I am friends with leaders of other parties too.”
Hamzah was blunt regarding his relationship with Muhyiddin, saying there was a terminal breakdown in trust.
“I do not want to go back. Forget about them,” he said.
He claimed that out of the 25 remaining Bersatu MPs, 18 have pledged their support to him.
The situation now, he said, was a case of 19 versus six.
He said he would take a month to reflect and finalise his next move. His decision on which “fleet” to join will be made public once the festive season concludes.
