Concerns raised over pledge documents binding BN candidates – Umno leader

(Sinar Daily) – A leader of Umno has been suspended from the party for raising concerns about the credibility of the pledge documents that bind Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates, which they signed in the 15th General Election (GE15).

The leader expressed worry that these documents would be disregarded by BN headquarters if they do not align with the interests of certain “groups.”

Former Umno Tebrau division chief, Datuk Maulizan Bujang, said that the revelation of the pledge documents, which required GE15 candidates to provide a guarantee of RM100 million, by former Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, is seen as inconsistent, given that BN headquarters failed to take action during the Sabah political crisis after GE15.

He pointed out that when the BN Sabah chairman, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, withdrew the party’s support for the Sabah government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor earlier this year, BN headquarters did not take any action against five State Assemblymen and several Umno members of Sabah Parliament who clearly disregarded the party’s decision and continued to support Hajiji.

“While there was clear disobedience among Umno representatives in Sabah towards the state’s instructions, Umno did not take any action, including enforcing the terms of the binding pledge documents for BN candidates, which would have allowed the party to sue them for RM100 million,” he told Sinar Premium.

Therefore, Maulizan believes that Umno and BN need to acknowledge that their current leadership does not adhere firmly to these pledge documents and that they are being disregarded through inconsistent party actions.

“It seems as if the laws and regulations created by the party only serve the interests of specific ‘groups’,” said the former Johor state government Exco member, who was suspended from Umno for six years in January.

He made these statements in response to Ahmad’s recent revelation.