Respect allies, don’t make demands, Zahid tells Kluang Amanah

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi took a swipe today at Kluang Amanah over its demand to contest the Mahkota state seat in Johor, which fell vacant with the death of its assemblyman last week.

(FMT) – The Barisan Nasional chairman said parties in the unity government should not demand seats that do not belong to them, calling for greater respect for fellow allies in the federal administration.

“If the seat belongs to another party, please show some respect. (The seat should) be given to the relevant party (to contest). (They should) not be demanding this and that,” Zahid said at a press conference here.

The deputy prime minister added that the top leadership of the unity alliance had yet to discuss the by-election for the seat out of respect for the family of the late Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain.

“She just passed away. We need to sympathise with her family. Let’s not be hasty in coming up with all kinds of political formulas.”

Kluang Amanah’s lobbying for the Mahkota seat, which was held by Sharifah of Umno, had prompted brickbats from several Umno leaders.

Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong then said the party would uphold the “principle of incumbency”, signalling support for Umno to defend the seat in the by-election to come.

Amanah Youth executive council member Fadhli Umar Aminolhuda later said he was determined to push for a candidate fielded by the party since the Johor government was not a unity government.

However, Amanah’s top leaders later said the views of Kluang Amanah and Fadhli were not the party’s official stance.