A Kedah Umno Youth delegate wants the state liaison chairperson, Shafie Apdal, replaced for a ‘local boy’.

shafie apdal and mps no defection pc 280808 01 When debating at the Umno Youth general assembly this afternoon, Jerai division Youth chief Basorri Hassan said that appointing Shafie - the MP for Semporna and a Sabah native - may not be in the best interests of the state party movement.

“Shafie ( right ) is actually a very respected leader. We give him our full support and we know that he can administer Kedah Umno very well.

“However, we know that he is busy as the party’s vice-president and the minister in charge of rural and regional development. And winning back Kedah from the PAS-led government needs full-time work,” he said.

He also said that the Pakatan government led by Menteri Besar Azizan Abd Razak had been clever at spinning and deflecting blame from their own administration, and diverting it to the BN-led federal government instead.

“He played with local sentiments when he raised his own water prices. He claimed that it was the work of the federal government and the people believed him!” Basorri exclaimed.

“The more days pass since PAS took over Kedah, the bigger chance that our plan to recapture the state may fail.

“So with all due respect, and I’m not too sure how to word this nicely, we need to replace the state liaison chairperson with a local person, especially in a state where we are the opposition,” said Basorri.   

Shafie, in response, denied he had neglected Kedah Umno or lacked time to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to him as Kedah Umno Liaison Committee chairperson.

Shafie said what was important was for the leaders at all levels to go to the ground to carry out work.

"Time is not a problem....enough time. But perhaps the post should be taken over by a Kedahan. My task should be to help out.

"I was asked by the party president (Najib Abdul Razak) to help

Kedah, and I was happy to do it. I'm helping Kedah Umno to rise again so that it can wrest back the state," he told Bernama .

Shafie said he had no problem if he was asked by the party leadership to withdraw from Kedah Umno post but stressed that it was not a key issue to be raised at the moment.

"It (Kedah) is not my place; I understand that. The post should be held by a Kedahan, but my appointment is only temporary.

"What is important right now is to focus on looking after the interest of the people. I had never gone after the position but was only asked to assist the party," he said.

Delegate slams animal lovers

The next delegate, Zainuri Zainal from Selangor, heavily criticised a disabled rights group for staging a protest over the Kuala Langat Municipal Council’s decision to put nine dogs to sleep.

Zainuri singled out disabled rights group Independent Living and Training Centre as the organiser, claiming that they were attempting to instill public hatred against the authorities.

“Are dogs more noble than man?... This is a normal tactic used by the opposition to draw public ire against the authorities,” asked Zainuri while debating the presidential address.

Several disabled rights activists held a protest on Sept 24 to condemn the council for euthanising nine dogs belonging to a suspect in the murder of Sosilawati Lawiya and three others.

The group claimed that the dogs found on a poultry farm in Banting could have been handled by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) or other animal welfare groups for assistance.

The council has since claimed that they were forced to put the dogs to sleep because they were posing a danger to the police personnel in the vicinity who were investigating the murder.