Forget Umno, PKR is your only option, Zaid tells Muhyiddin

(Malay Mail Online) – Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today advised Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to leave his Umno career behind and start afresh by joining PKR, claiming this is the only option left for the latter, who is now rumoured to be facing possible expulsion from the ruling party.

Zaid, who had himself walked the same road several years ago when he joined PKR after being sacked from Umno, also assured Muhyiddin that the move would not see him lose his Pagoh federal seat in Johor but would allow him to continue his struggle for the country.

“I hope Muhyiddin will once and for all drop the delusion that only Umno can save the Malays and the country.

“Malays and Malaysians as a whole are desperately looking for leaders who can steer this country away from destruction. Najib and Abdul Hadi Awang will not do us any good,” the former politician told Muhyiddin in his latest blog post, referring to Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Zaid also claimed that although he does not count Muhyiddin as a close friend, he visited the Umno deputy president in July this year after the latter was dropped from the federal Cabinet during a surprise reshuffle by Najib.

Muhyiddin, along with Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal, were both dropped during the reshuffle, ostensibly due to their open criticism of the leadership’s handling of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) controversy.

Zaid said that, during his meeting with Muhyiddin, the Umno number two expressed doubt that he would eventually be sacked from the party.

“At the time, he (Muhyiddin) felt he was strong enough to fend off any attempt to get rid of him,” the former Umno minister said.

But Zaid said he disagreed with Muhyiddin and told him that in Umno, party members would always support their president because there is no mechanism to democratically remove the person who holds the top post.

He said the party’s culture is such that members are always starry-eyed over leaders who behave ruthlessly and who wield money and power.

“Muhyiddin has only one choice left if he wants to fight and that is to join PKR. He would certainly win the Pagoh seat, and this would start the battle royal,” Zaid said.

“Don’t be sentimental, forget Umno and start afresh. Muhyiddin needs to create new alliances, a new political coalition and a new political order that can restore some semblance of democracy to the country,” he added.

Yesterday, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Muhyiddin’s speech during the “Bersama Timbalan Presiden Umno” gathering on Monday night at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman will be scrutinised by a special Umno committee.

Tengku Adnan said Muhyiddin may have gone overboard in his speech attacking party president Najib and could be stripped of his deputy presidency as punishment.

In his speech at the Monday night event, Muhyiddin had claimed that after cost of living, calls for Najib’s early resignation is the second most talked about topic on his Facebook page.

He also invited listeners to check on Najib’s Facebook and Twitter feed for such comments, but later said that it was not his duty to urge the Umno president to step down.

Muhyiddin also called for a two-term limit for the Umno presidency, and said that Najib should take leave as PM until the investigations on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) are completed.