Nazri demands answers from Zahid over talk of secret collaboration with PKR

(The Star) – Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has demanded answers from Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, claiming that he has evidence of purported efforts to secretly collaborate with PKR without the knowledge of Umno MPs.

Nazri said the 25 Barisan Nasional MPs do not trust Zahid to speak on their behalf of them when he meets the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as Nazri said they have purportedly obtained evidence that Ahmad Zahid had given a letter to the King pledging the support of all Umno MPs for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be prime minister in October last year.

“That letter is true and he did send it. It may be funny to him because he didn’t get our consent,” he added.

Nazri also said they have evidence of Ahmad Zahid purportedly engaging in a long phone conversation with Anwar.

“We can prove that it’s him (Ahmad Zahid). It’s not a one-sentence conversation. It cannot be doctored,” he said. So these are not comical things. These are real things that happened and I think Ahmad Zahid better reply to that,” he said on Thursday (July 24).

Attempts are being made to contact Ahmad Zahid as of press time.

Nazri’s rebuttal came after the Umno president rubbished allegations that 25 Barisan Nasional MPs have lost confidence in his leadership.

Describing Ahmad Zahid’s response as “cartoonish and comical”, Nazri said it is a fact that 25 MPs from Barisan have lost confidence towards his leadership, after they had signed letter of consents to give Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein the mandate to meet the King.

Nazri also clarified that the 25 MPs had signed letters of consent for Hishammuddin and not statutory declarations (SDs), as previously reported.

“The 25 of us signed the letter of consent, not SDs, for Hishammuddin to represent us in any decision made in the best interest of the party.

“If that doesn’t mean that we have lost confidence in Ahmad Zahid, then I don’t understand what is,” he said.

Without mincing his words, Nazri said he was the one who organised the MPs into signing the letters of consent.

Nazri also said the 25, including himself, are prepared to meet up with Zahid to hash things out.

“Meet with us. Be a man. Face-to-face,” he said.

“Ask me if I had lost confidence in you and I would say yes. Ask the others and they will tell you they are tired of this. It is not helping us.”

Asked if there are any political surprises expected in the coming days, Nazri laughed and said he can’t tell for now.

“When the need arises, everyone will know. I don’t lie – I’m the organiser,” he added.

Nazri said the only surprise is that he’s leaving the country for a two-month holiday and he will be back just two weeks before Parliament reconvenes in order to quarantine.

“Just to relax and after that I will be back,” he added.

Earlier this week, Nazri dropped a bombshell after he told Malay daily Sinar Harian that 25 MPs have signed SDs to give Hishammuddin the mandate to meet the King and “set the record straight against support for Anwar as prime minister.

In response, Ahmad Zahid described the allegations that the 25 Barisan MPs had lost confidence in him as a “cartoon”.

Last October, Zahid allegedly gave a letter to the King pledging the support of all Umno MPs for Anwar to be prime minister. However, Ahmad Zahid’s office has since claimed the letter was fake.

The political intrigue began on June 9 after the King granted audiences to various heads of political parties to deliberate the current Covid-19 situation amidst the Emergency Proclamation that is due to expire on Aug 1.