Umno supreme council member Nazri Aziz today likened Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin’s recent attacks against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to a ‘biting dog’ that is making it difficult for the party to carry out its responsibilities.

“We want to do work because the rakyat is more important and so we must focus as a team to help the president to help the rakyat.

“If Muhyiddin is acting like a dog that bites our feet, it would be difficult for us (to work),” Nazri said at a press conference in Putrajaya.

This follows his reported remarks yesterday that Muhyiddin should be suspended for continuously attacking Najib, who is also Umno president.

In reiterating his call for Muhyiddin’s suspension, Nazri said he would submit an official notice to the party’s disciplinary committee at the next Umno supreme council meeting.

“I will propose to suspend him (Muhyiddin) from his position, but not his membership.

“It would be left to the disciplinary committee to decide on what action it wants to take (against Muhyiddin),” said Nazri, who is also tourism and culture minister.

‘Muhyiddin should resign from his position’

Nazri also said that Muhyiddin should have resigned from his position if he could no longer support Najib’s administration.

“We (Umno members) chose him (as deputy president) because we saw that he could help the president, so he must resign if he can no longer do that.

“We are angry at him (Muhyiddin) because he is attacking a party leader. If I attack him, I would also be acting like him and that's why I am asking him to resign. I can face him any time,” he said.

Nazri also pointed out that Muhyiddin is not the only leader who has been serving the rakyat.

“If he says he is doing all this in the interests of the rakyat, does he think god only puts him alone on this earth to be an elected representative? I am also an elected representative, so is Najib.

“And if he says he is doing all this because he fears God, does he actually mean that we are all not God-fearing? All of us, me, Najib, (deputy prime minister Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) are not Muslims?”

Muhyiddin, during an event in Port Dickson on Saturday, had alleged that Najib had prevented him from performing his duties and urged the disciplinary board to have solid proof if it wanted to act against him.

Muhyiddin had also repeatedly expressed concerns over 1MDB and advised Najib to resign as its adviser until its issues were resolved.