Zahid's middle name is 'Sarcasm'

Malaysiakini:

Zahid 'thanks' govt for giving Umno reps same annual allocation as opposition

Umno parliamentarians are given the same amount of annual constituency allocation as the opposition lawmakers under 2021 Budget, despite they being part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, according to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Umno MPs are only given an allocation of RM100,000 annually while their counterparts in PN enjoy RM3.7 million, he said in an interview on NR Channel TV yesterday.

In a sardonic tone, the six-term Bagan Datuk MP thanked the government for the allocation and he said the amount is adequate for his constituency, which is lagged behind in development.

"I will receive RM100,000 in allocation for 2021 while other government MPs get RM3.7 million. I think this is enough for Bagan Datuk, the most-backwards area in Perak, to get RM100,000," Zahid said.

"This is the allocation given to Bagan Datuk (MP), Pontian (MP Ahmad Maslan), Pekan (MP Najib Abdul Razak), Padang Rengas (MP Nazri Abdul Aziz) and Machang (MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub).

"Hopefully, those who made the call will open their heart to equal allocations to the MPs who supported the Budget 2021 in Dewan Rakyat," he said.

Zahid said the Umno lawmakers voted for the budget at the policy stage, committee stage and during the third reading.

"But this is the gift received by us. Praise be to God we get RM100,000 in allocation. Thank you and (we are) grateful," he said sardonically with a prayer gesture, obviously mocking PN.

However, it remained unknown if the Umno lawmakers who hold key positions in Muhyiddin Yassin's cabinet receive the same amount of allocations as those being sidelined.

There have been signs of a growing rift between the Umno leadership and Umno cabinet ministers, particular after Annuar Musa was sacked as BN secretary-general. While Umno leaders insisted on severing ties with PN, the Umno ministers are seen to be friendly to Muhyiddin administration.

The decisions of Nazri and Ahmad Jazlan in retracting their support for the PN government has left Muhyiddin with a minority government.

Following that, Zahid also saw a few Umno grassroots leaders demanding that he takes a break from leading the party.

A garden leave, nor resignation, is not the way out in resolving the problem, Zahid said in last night's interview.

"I once went on leave for six months and 12 days after a group of MPs asked me to resign or take leave. They said they would not quit Umno if I take leave. However, they quit on the second day I went on garden leave.

”Under such a circumstance, definitely taking a break, taking leave or even resigning is not a solution to the problem," he stressed.

Zahid said he was appointed as the president under the democratic process of the Umno election and this, going by the party's constitution, should be upheld by the grassroots.