Stop the back door negotiations, Umno Youth ticks off party leaders

(NST) – Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has hit out at party leaders who were “rushing” to get back into power through the back door.

He said such leaders had sold Umno’s dignity by trying to cut corners to regain power.

He also called for an end to any negotiations by certain party leaders with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad or PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Any efforts by a few to negotiate with either Tun Mahathir’s or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s proxies must stop immediately.

“As long as such efforts continue, Umno will be seen as directionless and will break up even further. What is more worrying is that even if negotiations with whichever party are successful, Umno will be punished more severely in the coming general election.

“People will see us as an unprincipled party which only craves power,” he said in a statement.

Asyraf said Umno should instead emulate PAS, which has held on to its struggle even though they have been in the Opposition for over 60 years.

He said it was about time the Umno leadership took a serious look at the `phenomenon` of party Parliamentarians who were abndoning ship.

“All of those who left have attributed it to a loss of faith in the party leadership, which has been accused of being rudderless,” he said.

He said it was about time Umno focussed on rejuvenating and strengthening itself to become a credible opposition.

“This means Umno must start by self reflecting on all the mistakes and wrongdoings that we committed.

“We must also apologise to the people for all our excesses,” he said.

Asyraf said the people actually did not reject Umno’s struggles, but were put off by the negative image of the party which was caused by its involvement in numerous misappropriations, corruption scandals and integrity issues.

Pledging that Umno Youth would never leave the party, he also had some choice words for those who had done so .

“To those who left the party, remember that the Umno that you abandoned once carried you during times of prosperity and brought you up to the top. I hope you all get what you wish for.”

It was reported that an exodus of Umno leaders had started with Umno Sabah losing nine assemblymen, four MPs, and most of its state liaison committee, on Wednesday.

The defectors had pledged support towards Dr Mahathir’s leadership.

Before the Sabah Umno exodus, six MPs left Umno, three of whom — Jeli MP Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Bagan Serai MP Datuk Noor Azmi Ghazali, and Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin — joined PPBM.

Another, Labuan MP Datuk Rozman Isli, joined Warisan.

Today, Tanah Merah MP Datuk Seri Ikhmal Hisham Abdul Aziz became the latest Umno leader to abandon ship after he announced that he too had quit the party.

Yestrday, a recording of senior Umno leader Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealing that Umno had reached out to prime minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim to strike a deal emerged.

Nazri has since stated that such a meeting had been held but that Anwar did not promise anything.