Amanah deputy president Kadir Sheikh Fadzir has blamed concerted attacks and threats in the mainstream media “owned” by his former party Umno aimed at ousting him, for his decision to quit the ruling party.

Kadir, a long time Umno member and former minister, alleged that the media attacks were “orchestrated by those in power”.

NONE “This was then followed by the statement from Umno sec-gen (Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) himself, asking me to leave the party,” said the one time information minister.

“And so I left the party that I have given all my soul to for the past 56 years,” he added.

Kadir ( right ) said among the issues distorted by the mainstream media were his comments on stopping vote-buying during elections, ending the use of government departments to campaign for the party and calls for an independent and fair media.

These views, he said, were not new and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Najib Razak have also broached the topics.

When asked who those “in power” were, Kadir said, “I understand from my friends in the media, there is someone either from the media unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, or from the BN headquarters or Umno who is coordinating the necessary issues against any one being targetted.”

“And (after they do their work) you will see the related news reports appear in the mainstream media,” he said.

‘Umno has strayed far’

On March 19 Kadir quit Umno in the midst of a disciplinary committee probe into his statement alleging that BN had bought votes in Kulim Bandar Baharu, Kedah, in the 12th general election.

The 73-year-old was a member of the Umno supreme council for 24 years, after 10 years in the Umno Youth executive council.

Kadir said he intended to continue Umno’s struggle according to what the founders of the party had intended from the beginning.

NONE He said the ruling party today has “strayed far from the pure intentions of the founders of the nation and of Umno”.

These, he said, were the basic rights of citizens that included true democracy including freedom of speech and expression, freedom of political association, freedom to assemble and so on.

“The federal constitution is proof that these were the founders’ intentions,” he said.

Asked if he has received any offer from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to join the opposition party, Kadir said he “do not know about this and will not comment”.

However he admitted that several Pakatan Rakyat leaders have done so.

“I will make my decision (regarding joining the opposition), but I will not join because of their persuasion,” he said.