Umno grassroots have been influenced by the opposition to turn against party president Najib Abdul Razak, said Umno vice president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"The president is currently not so well liked by the grassroots who have ingested the opposition's poison," he told delegates at the Pasir Salak Umno division annual meeting today.

While he did not detail how the opposition was delivering its poison, Zahid warned that ingesting it would destroy the party.

"Don't take the opposition's poison... It will take over our nerves and destroy the party," the deputy prime minister added.

Crisis within Umno exacerbated after Najib axed deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin as deputy prime minister, after Muhyiddin’s remarks on state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

One Umno member from Langkawi, Anina Saadudin has sued the party president to demand that Najib return RM2.6 billion he said was a political donation into the party's coffers.

Pasir Salak Umno is backing Zahid , who was appointed DPM after Muhyiddin’s sacking, to take over as party number two as well.

Malaysiakini understands that Muhyiddin is preparing his defence in the event that he gets the boot at Umno’s supreme council meeting next week.

Meanwhile on another matter, Zahid urged Umno leaders to face issues face on.

"When the ostrich is attacked it buries its... It also likes to pass the buck to someone else.

"The burung unta (ostrich) is neither a burung (bird) or an unta (camel). When you tell it to carry heavy loads it says its not a camel, and when you ask it to fly it says its not a bird.

"Umno leaders should not be like that," he said, without targeting anyone specifically.

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