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Key Highlights
No ‘family dynasty’ in Umno for Puad
BN candidates stand tall, Wawasan Negara sits out
MPs slam 'untouchable' prison officers clause
No ‘family dynasty’ in Umno for Puad
Umno veteran Puad Zarkashi has left his long-time party over alleged royal interference in party matters, particularly in Johor.
In announcing his departure, Puad claimed that the Johor palace was controlling the party and had ordered the dissolution of the state assembly, alleging that caretaker menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi was one of their “puppets”. Onn denied the allegation.
However, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki claimed that this was not the reason Puad quit, revealing instead that the former supreme council member was upset that BN did not nominate his son to replace him as its Rengit candidate.
Puad rebutted the accusation, saying his decision stemmed from dissatisfaction with Umno’s candidate selection process, which he alleged was influenced by “certain parties” and marred by cronyism.
He also defended recommending his son, arguing there was nothing wrong with proposing a family member who was capable and had been groomed for the role, while questioning the nomination of some candidates who were in their golden years.
Not one to keep quiet, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh criticised Puad, asserting that the party does not belong to a “family dynasty”.
“Umno is not a family party. When someone’s child fails to be selected as a candidate, suddenly, everything is wrong with Umno. There are plenty of other young people around who have been chosen as candidates,” he said.
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BN candidates stand tall, Wawasan Negara sits out
BN is all geared up to fight for the 56 Johor state seats, unveiling its full line-up for the July 11 polls with 37 Umno candidates alongside 15 from MCA and four from MIC.
One of the most high-profile returns is former health minister Adham Baba, who has been nominated for Pasir Raja. Adham is best known for his time in office during the pandemic, where he suggested that air suam (warm water) could cure Covid-19.
State BN chief Onn Hafiz Ghazi will be defending his Machap seat, while the caretaker menteri besar’s special officer Chua Jian Boon of MCA will be fielded in the previously Umno-held seat of Layang-Layang, one of several seats swapped among BN components.
Another seat to watch is Puteri Wangsa, with MCA’s Teow Chia Ling contesting against former education minister Maszlee Malik, who is running under the Pakatan Harapan banner.
The list also marks the absence of former Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad from Benut, a seat he has long held.
Meanwhile, in the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional, Bersatu, PAS, MIPP, and Pejuang separately announced candidates in 33 out of 56 seats.
It is not clear why candidates for another 23 seats were not named.
As for PN’s newest member, Parti Wawasan Negara, it has declared that it will opt out of contesting in Johor and instead make its polls debut in Negeri Sembilan.
Gerakan has also announced it will not be joining the fray, with its state chairperson saying the party will prioritise PN's broader interests. However, it was reported that its grassroots were unhappy over the “unwinnable” seats allocated to Gerakan.
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MPs slam 'untouchable' prison officers clause
The Dewan Rakyat has deferred the Prisons (Amendment) Bill after MPs raised concerns over provisions that could shield prison officers from legal action.
At the centre of the debate was proposed Section 63A, which grants protection from court proceedings to prison officers and any person acting on the instructions of the prisons commissioner-general if any act or negligence occurred in good faith, with a belief that it was necessary.
“If this new Section 63A is introduced or included in this amendment, then it could be more regressive, rather than progressive, which is contrary to the spirit of reform under the Madani government,” former deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh said in his debate speech yesterday, citing the Suhakam report on a “riot” at the Taiping Prison last year.
Pendang MP Awang Hashim similarly cautioned that the provision could render prison officers “untouchable” and open the door to abuses of power.
Sri Aman MP Doris Sophia Brodi labelled the clause as “draconian” and “regressive”, arguing that it undermines accountability.
The bill will be referred to the parliamentary special select committee on human rights for further scrutiny.
Malaysiakini unpacked the 261-page Suhakam report and detailed what exactly happened during the so-called Taiping Prison “riot” here.
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