Open warfare between Najib, Muhyiddin camps
Puad Zarkashi attacking Muhyiddin on Facebook is an indication of what is to come in the future.
(Free Malaysia Today) – There are signs now that it’s open warfare between supporters of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin, his deputy, ventures former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin in his latest blog posting.
“The attacks follow the circulation of a video which criticizes Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over his handling of 1MDB which has run up debts of RM42 billion.”
Even if there was no video, Zainuddin pointed out, Muhyiddin would have known that his speech last Saturday in Janda Baik, Pahang, would become public knowledge and reach Najib since besides Umno leaders, many Ministers and the Pahang Menteri Besar were present.
It’s irrelevant whether the video was purposely circulated to sideline Muhyiddin for acts of disloyalty or to gather public support for him. “Again, without the video, a speech had been delivered in public.”
The video, however, provided a trigger-off point to launch attacks against Muhyiddin. “Utusan Malaysia was an exception in not reporting the video.”
Zainuddin was commenting on Mohd Puad Zarkashi, who heads the Special Affairs Department (JASA) under the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, attacking Muhyiddin in his Facebook as a lazy Education Minister.
It can be taken, he added, that it was Minister of Communications and Multimedia Ahmad Shabery Cheek who instructed Puad to go on the attack against Muhyiddin.
It’s logical to assume that since JASA reports to him as the Minister responsible, argued Zainuddin, Shabery instructed Puad on launching the attacks against Muhyiddin. “If Puad was acting on his own, it means Shabery no longer has control over the former and JASA.”
Ironically, he said, Puad is also a member of the Umno Supreme Council. “I had some information that Puad was the strongest supporter of Najib during a recent Umno Supreme Council meeting while Muhyiddin spoke up strongly against 1MDB on behalf of the grassroots.”
