Nur Jazlan: I am not asking Najib to step down

(The Star) – Pulai Umno division chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has denied that he is asking party president  Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step down from his post.

Clarifying remarks he made in a blog post on Wednesday, the Pulai MP said the Prime Minister needed to answer the criticism and allegations thrown at him fast, or it could affect Umno in the long-term.

“If he goes the full parliamentary term (until 2018) to answer, that would be a long time. He should look at the interest of the party as a whole,” Nur Jazlan told reporters after attending the Asean People’s Forum on Wednesday.

He said he was speaking out for the party, adding that other Umno leaders would agree with his view if they too cared for the party.

“If they defend their party leader solely, then they are not doing it for the party.

“There is no reason for Najib to step down while the party still supports him. But how long will the Umno hierarchy give him?” he asked.

Nur Jazlan, who is also Public Accounts Committee chairman, said the Prime Minister’s recent tell-all interview on TV3 had done little to kill off subsequent criticism and speculation on issues such as 1MDB and GST.

“It certainly didn’t satisfy (Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad). Only once the public is satisfied with the answers, the issue will die down,” he added.

In his blog post, Nur Jazlan had written that Najib needed to act quickly to address concerns over 1MDB, which had now affected Umno as a whole.

He said it would not be Pakatan Rakyat that caused Barisan Nasional’s downfall, but rather elements within Umno itself.

“The Prime Minister could choose a shortcut by calling for snap elections to wash away the negative perception surrounding him and his family with a new mandate,” wrote Nur Jazlan.