Pasir Salak Umno leaders thank Zahid for destroying the division

Following last night’s announcement that incumbent Pasir Salak Member of Parliament Tajuddin Abdul Rahman would be dropped as a candidate in the 15th general election, several members of the Pasir Salak Umno division denounced the decision.

Openly rejecting Khairul Azwan Harun as the new candidate, the group expressed sardonic gratitude, particularly directed at BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whom they accused of destroying the unity of the Umno Pasir Salak division.

Pasir Salak Umno vice chief and Tajuddin’s son, Dr Faizal Tajuddin, had claimed that their decision to field Tajuddin as a candidate for a fourth term was ignored and cast aside.

This came despite the group’s efforts to garner almost 3,000 signatures from grassroots members petitioning support for the incumbent, Faizal said.

The petition, sighted by Malaysiakini, was addressed to Zahid, Umno vice-presidents Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Mahdzir Khalid and Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad.

“We collected (the signatures) within 24 hours. If we had more time we could have gathered all the signatures from the party members.

“But still Tajuddin’s name was rejected as an MP. Once again, thank you Dato Seri president (Zahid),” he said during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur after the BN candidate announcements were made.

The group then unveiled a banner that read “Thank you president for destroying the unity of Pasir Salak Umno.” 

Faizal said: “It is not impossible to say that the announcement just now has caused a divide in Pasir Salak Umno in the blink of an eye.

“Do the top five or the party president understand that this could happen?”

He said that Tajuddin was the only candidate suggested to party leaders for the Pasir Salak constituency, whereas Khairul, better known as Azwan Bro, was suggested for the Sungai Manik state seat.

As well as questioning the party’s strategy, Faizal also condemned Khairul for accepting candidacy for the parliamentary seat, claiming that if Khairul was a “team player” he would have respected the division's collective decision.

He then acknowledged that his father did not have the most appealing character among his peers, claiming that had Tajuddin not been outspoken on certain issues, he would have been retained as an Umno supreme council member and BN’s Pasir Salak candidate.

However, Faizal added, these personal issues should not get in the way of the sacrifices and achievements of the incumbent MP.

“We cannot describe how frustrated and how disappointed all of us are. It remains to be seen whether the change in candidacy will have any major impact on Pasir Salak.

“We shall see if it is good - or a bad decision that may harm the party,” he said.

Tajuddin had previously publicly gone against Zahid on several occasions including calling the latter a liability to Umno’s survival and showing support for Ismail Sabri as prime minister.

Shahril for Alor Gajah

Meanwhile, for the Alor Gajah Umno division, BN’s decision to field Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan was very much welcomed despite the latter being parachuted to the Malacca constituency from previously contesting in Kuala Langat, Selangor.

Division chief Rospandi Leman told reporters it had been the wish of Alor Gajah Umno grassroots to see an Umno candidate fielded to contest the seat.

“We had been hoping to get an Umno candidate to contest Alor Gajah because over 60 percent of voters in Alor Gajah are Malays.

“We welcome any candidate chosen by the party, as long as it is from Umno. Even though he (Shahril) is from Kuala Langat, but in Umno, we are all one family,” he said.

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