Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says he was informed that the meeting between Umno parliamentarians and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali yesterday was merely to discuss channelling government projects to their constituencies.

However, PKR central leadership committee member Kamarudin Jaffar, who was present at the meeting with BN lawmakers last night, said they discussed the future of the country, the need for less politicking and more unity, as well as the shared prosperity vision.

When asked repeatedly whether the issue of support for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to stay on for a full-term was brought up, Kamarudin evaded the question by saying there was no need to discuss that matter as PAS and Umno had already pledged to support Dr Mahathir for a full-term.

Though PAS had expressed that they support Dr Mahathir as a full-term prime minister multiple times, only a handful of Umno MPs had done the same, most of whom were present at the meeting which took place at Azmin’s official residence in Putrajaya.

Umno had never officially pledged their support for Dr Mahathir to complete his full-term as prime minister.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters today that the meeting was carried out in a manner which contravened previous advice given by the opposition leader in Parliament, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, which led many parties to speculate on its objective.

"The meeting was held to satisfy their (Umno MPs’) voters in getting government projects to be channelled through allocations to them as MPs," he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex this afternoon.

"However, it created a perception. The opposition chief had before this reminded that any meeting must be done en bloc (by the opposition pact) and the meeting venue must be at the Parliament, as this would appear better and be more appropriate." 

The two-hour meeting was reportedly attended by least 22 BN MPs and five PKR MPs including Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang MP) and Kamarudin, who is the deputy transport minister and Bandar Tun Razak MP.

Azmin (above) is also the economic affairs minister.

Zahid, who is Bagan Datok MP, added that the party was taking note of the grouses raised by Umno members over the meeting.

Umno disciplinary committee chairperson Mohamed Apandi Ali said today it was expecting to receive complaints about the meeting and would probe the matter.

'Do not go against party policies and decisions'

During the press conference, Zahid also stressed on the need for all Umno members, including its parliamentarians, to toe the line and follow decisions taken by its leadership.

He said any member should not compromise with any bloc in the government or any of its leaders.

"(Party members) must not compromise with any bloc in the government or any leader who represents the government," he said. 

"Be it on a personal capacity, or through any unsanctioned doors, because the party's decision is the official decision. We hope there will be no attempt to act in any way that is not according to the supreme council and party's decisions." 

Asked about BN parliamentarians supposedly torn between supporting prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister said: "When we make decisions, they must be done en bloc."

He also dismissed speculation that the Umno MPs who met Azmin were planning to form a new party, saying that he had not heard of such a thing. 

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