Saving Zahid? Umno fumes over PM's aide behind-the-scenes disclosure

Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin’s disclosure of the events that transpired on the night of the 15th general election has incensed Umno leaders.

In a podcast, the senior aide of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who lost to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by a slim majority of 348 votes in the battle for the Bagan Datuk seat, claimed that he did not challenge the results because of the “bigger picture”.

Although disappointed, the PKR leader said he let the issue rest following a conversation with Anwar at 2am.

Shamsul (above) claimed that after receiving assurance that they were forming a government, he followed the “general’s orders”.

“Of course, I was sad. We worked so hard. But in politics, the organisation is bigger than you. There is a bigger picture,” he added.

Respect democratic process

Seeing red, Umno lawmaker Azalina Othman Said told Shamsul to respect the democratic process and avoid making statements that could fuel negative speculation and undermine public confidence.

In a Facebook post, Azalina argued that Shamsul, as a senior politician, should have acted more responsibly to uphold political integrity, particularly when discussing elections.

She suggested that Shamsul should have accepted the election results gracefully and used the Election Commission (EC) as the appropriate channel for any objections.

“Shamsul should show magnanimity by accepting the decision and using the EC as the proper channel to file objections, reflecting a commitment to political integrity and professionalism.

“In this regard, I believe that Zahid, the MP for Bagan Datuk, along with all BN MPs, have complete confidence in the democratic process and are prepared to accept any decision made by the voters,” she said.

Wanita Umno executive council member Nurulhidayah, who is also Zahid’s daughter, was not pleased.

“When someone believes they know everything and portray themselves as the ultimate hero, what follows is delusion,” she vented on Instagram.

While she did not name Shamsul, her post featured a screenshot from the podcast.

Nurulhidayah also agreed with Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh on reprimanding those with loose tongues in the coalition government.

“Akmal was right in calling out those who talk big... Then they get offended (when reprimanded),” she said.

“If that’s the case (Shamsul’s version), BN and PKR could issue a letter asking the EC to investigate and sue you for the foolish statement,” she added.

‘Not very smart’

Padang Rengas Umno division chief and former minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz also weighed in but targeted Shamsul’s critics as “not very smart”.

He said the political aide was merely exercising his freedom of speech, which is central to democracy.

“What’s the point in criticising Shamsul? What he said may or may not be true. Even if there was a recount, would all 800 spoilt votes go to Shamsul? Not necessarily,” he said in reference to the 748 spoilt votes recorded for the constituency in Perak.

Nazri, who is the Malaysian ambassador to the United States, also argued that there was nothing improper about discussions between parties forming a government, especially when none of them have a clear majority.

“What would be wrong is if someone were trying to buy votes from MPs to gain support,” he added.

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