The president of the International Republican Institute (IRI) which claims to be a nonprofit, nonpartisan organisation committed to advancing freedom and democracy worldwide, told a forum last month that the IRI, with funds from the National Endowment for Democracy, has worked to strengthen Malaysian opposition parties since 2002 and its efforts paid off when Pakatan Harapan won the 14th General Election. Daniel Twining also revealed that he had visited Malaysia and met with many of the new leaders of the new government.
Charge d’Affaires says his country has never sought to decide Malaysia's political leadership
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang claimed yesterday the party was offered assistance by the US to topple the government during a meeting at the US embassy.
PETALING JAYA: The US embassy has denied that it offered to help topple the government in 2014, following a claim by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Charge d’Affaires David H Gamble Jr said the US has never sought to decide Malaysia’s political leadership.
“Any account to the contrary is false,” he said in a statement.
At PAS’s muktamar yesterday, Hadi claimed that the party was offered assistance by the US to topple the government in 2014.
He said this took place at a meeting at the embassy during the visit of former US president Barack Obama, attended by several PAS leaders.
He said then PAS assistant secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who was Hadi’s political secretary at the time, went to the embassy for the meeting.
However, Takiyuddin and Samsuri were not swayed by the offer and remained firm in rejecting it, he said.
Hadi also claimed that after the meeting, the US ambassador requested a separate meeting with him, which he attended with Mustafa Ali, then PAS secretary-general.
He said the ambassador asked him for the name of PAS’s proposed prime minister, to which he responded by saying, “Who does America agree with?”
Hadi said he recounted the incident to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said it was “good”.
Barisan Nasional was ousted from Putrajaya in the 2018 general election, with the then opposition Pakatan Harapan’s campaign focused heavily on the 1MDB scandal and corruption allegations against then prime minister Najib Razak.
PH won the elections and Mahathir was subsequently sworn in as the prime minister.
The Umno president also denies reports that Cabinet meetings are shorter than usual because of their strained ties.
Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (second from left) sitting between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and transport minister Loke Siew Fook at a Cabinet meeting. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied allegations that his relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has become increasingly strained, saying their ties remain cordial.
Zahid was responding to a Bloomberg report citing sources as saying that tensions between him and Anwar were worsening, with recent Cabinet meetings taking place for shorter periods than usual.
Zahid, who is the Umno president, also said his relationship with DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook remained very good.
“Cabinet meetings have been ending at 1pm as usual, not as reported.
“I sat next to him (Anwar), to the prime minister’s right. Loke, the transport minister, was also seated next to me,” he was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying.
Bloomberg reported that the tension between the prime minister and his deputy stemmed from Zahid’s decision for Barisan Nasional to contest against Pakatan Harapan in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
The report also claimed that the situation was compounded by DAP’s pressure for institutional reforms to be implemented by year-end, while Anwar still needed BN’s support to secure a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat to pass constitutional amendments.
Zahid, however, said BN would continue to honour its pledge to remain in the unity government until the end of the current term.
“Umno is a party that keeps its promises. The decision was made to remain until the end of the 15th Parliament’s term.
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“What is important is that we remain in the government, because that was the resolution unanimously adopted by Umno delegates at the previous general assembly,” he said.
Last month, former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said trust between Anwar and Zahid had hit its lowest point following BN’s decision to join forces with Perikatan Nasional for the Negeri Sembilan election.
Anwar brushed aside the claims and said that Khairy was only expressing his “personal view”.
Menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi says she would serve as a special representative of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim, to address the needs of the community.
Marina Ibrahim, a one-term Skudai assemblyman, announced her decision to step away from politics before the Johor state election and return to community work. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: Former DAP assemblyman Marina Ibrahim has been appointed as a special officer for the Orang Asli community in the state under the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation.
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the appointment at the National Orang Asli Sports Carnival at Educity in Iskandar Puteri yesterday.
He said Marina would serve as a special representative of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim, to engage with and understand the needs of the state’s Orang Asli community.
“State agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development executive councillor Israk Abdullah will also help look after the welfare of the Orang Asli community,” he said.
Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he was confident Marina could play an effective role by visiting Orang Asli villages to gain a firsthand understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the community.
Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, said such an approach was important to ensure that the Orang Asli community’s problems were identified and given due attention.
Marina, a one-term Skudai assemblyman under Pakatan Harapan, had announced her decision to not defend her seat and step away from politics before the Johor state election.
She said she had instead chosen to work directly with those in need, continuing the social work she had been passionate about long before entering politics.
Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching subsequently revealed that the party had planned to move Marina to contest the Tiram seat.
Marina stood in Skudai in the 2022 Johor polls, where she defeated Barisan Nasional’s Lim Soon Hai and Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Keng Ek.
