Zahid denies staying in govt to save himself, sidelining Najib
Malaysiakini Team
Published: Jan 16, 2026 11:20 AM
Updated: 3:31 PM
UMNO AGM | Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied allegations that he is aligning the party with the Madani government to save himself, while sidelining his predecessor Najib Abdul Razak.
“That is a (false) accusation,” Zahid said with a smile during his policy speech at the Umno general assembly today.
“Some claim Zahid is doing this to save himself - that is an accusation. They claim Zahid has sidelined his comrade Najib - that is an accusation. In fact, we sympathise with Bossku.
“Umno has never wavered with Datuk Najib. (Our support for Najib) has never changed,” he said.
Last week, Zahid was let off the hook completely from his 47 Yayasan Akalbudi corruption charges. The no further action (NFA) decision by the Attorney-General's Chambers came days after he rejected a push for Umno to join the opposition.
Previously, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in the case 10 months after he was appointed as deputy prime minister in the Madani cabinet.
Loyalty to Najib remains
Zahid said that Umno remains loyal to Najib, and reiterated that he had petitioned to get a pardon for the former prime minister convicted in two graft cases.
“Umno has humbly submitted its plea, expressing its utmost loyalty and gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, so that a man named Najib Abdul Razak may be granted compassion, consideration, and leniency, so that he may return to the embrace of his family and all of us.
“Forgive us, Tuanku,” he said in his presidential policy speech at the Umno general assembly at the World Trade Centre (WTC), Kuala Lumpur, today.
Published: Jan 16, 2026 11:20 AM
Updated: 3:31 PM
UMNO AGM | Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied allegations that he is aligning the party with the Madani government to save himself, while sidelining his predecessor Najib Abdul Razak.
“That is a (false) accusation,” Zahid said with a smile during his policy speech at the Umno general assembly today.
“Some claim Zahid is doing this to save himself - that is an accusation. They claim Zahid has sidelined his comrade Najib - that is an accusation. In fact, we sympathise with Bossku.
“Umno has never wavered with Datuk Najib. (Our support for Najib) has never changed,” he said.
Last week, Zahid was let off the hook completely from his 47 Yayasan Akalbudi corruption charges. The no further action (NFA) decision by the Attorney-General's Chambers came days after he rejected a push for Umno to join the opposition.
Previously, he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) in the case 10 months after he was appointed as deputy prime minister in the Madani cabinet.
Loyalty to Najib remains
Zahid said that Umno remains loyal to Najib, and reiterated that he had petitioned to get a pardon for the former prime minister convicted in two graft cases.
“Umno has humbly submitted its plea, expressing its utmost loyalty and gratitude to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, so that a man named Najib Abdul Razak may be granted compassion, consideration, and leniency, so that he may return to the embrace of his family and all of us.
“Forgive us, Tuanku,” he said in his presidential policy speech at the Umno general assembly at the World Trade Centre (WTC), Kuala Lumpur, today.
Zahid also conveyed Najib’s greetings to Umno delegates at the beginning of his speech.
“He (Najib) himself contacted me despite the hardship he is facing… he sent his greetings, with the words Assalamualaikum, to the entire delegates’ assembly,” he said.
On Dec 26 last year, the High Court found him guilty of 21 money laundering charges and four counts of abuse of power in a trial linked to the 1MDB financial scandal.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah sentenced Najib to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of RM11.38 billion for the abuse of power charges, in addition to five years’ jail for each money laundering charge.
Defending cooperation with DAP
In an interview with Free Malaysia Today published this morning, Zahid also defended his party’s cooperation with DAP.
“I don’t have any issue with DAP, even though at one time I vowed ‘No Anwar, No DAP’.
“But Allah had other plans, and we were fated to become partners in the government,” he said.
In his speech, Zahid elaborated again today on Umno’s deliberations to form a multi-coalition government that includes its former arch-rival DAP, a situation described as a current political reality across the world.
“In fact, ‘No Anwar No DAP’ has become a mantra meant to portray as if we have violated the decision made at the Umno general assembly.
“Whereas the decision of ‘No Anwar No DAP No Bersatu’ was taken as a stance for Umno to go solo in the 15th general election.
“The reality is, we decided to join the government today only after certain parties rejected the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree to form a unity government,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment