Poor turnout at ‘urgent meeting’ of Umno chiefs, Najib’s imprisonment to ease pressure on Ismail?
A gathering of Umno divisional chiefs on Monday confirmed fears within the court cluster group about the extent of their support within the party.
(MalaysiaNow) – Umno sources familiar with the hastily arranged meeting, held just a day before Najib Razak was sent to jail, said it had only demonstrated a lack of solid support for the former leader and president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi despite their role in bringing the party back to power.
On Sunday night, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan – one among a number of key former government leaders facing charges in court – sent a message to all 191 divisional leaders nationwide, telling them to gather at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
“The late-night message told us to be at Menara Dato Onn at 11 for a discussion on a very important matter that affects Umno’s future.
“So naturally, it was important that all of us be there,” a divisional chief from Johor told MalaysiaNow.
However, only 73 – less than 40% – of the divisional chiefs made it to the meeting.
It is understood that most divisional heads in Johor, where Umno’s recent return to power was attributed to Najib’s campaign, stayed away from the meeting, with only 10 from a total of 26 attending.
