Khairy: Telling Umno to move on from Najib not rude, just saying bitter truth
KUALA LUMPUR, August 2 — Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaludin has clarified he was not being rude when he advised Umno to move forward and away from convicted former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
The Rembau MP said that he was merely stating something factual, which was hard for some to digest.
“I had no intentions to be rude towards Najib. He has his right to appeal. I merely want Umno to look and move forward.
“That is a norm when one states the truth, but that is bitter,” Utusan Malaysia reported him saying last night.
Khairy was criticised for his statement from some within the party, chief of whom was sacked Umno leader Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who had railed against the former on social media.
“I am loyal to my party. I merely stated something many are having in mind, but perhaps are afraid to say it out.
“I am not concerned if the messenger is shot, but if the message brought is ignored, Umno will always be looked down by the people,” Khairy was reported saying.
Khairy had previously called on his party to forge ahead with the rejuvenation process in the wake of Najib’s conviction by the Kuala Lumpur High Court last month.
He said that although everyone in the party has the right to give moral support to Najib, he hoped that Umno would no longer be ensnared in the case as it is time for the party to be rebuilt and pave the way for a transition of leadership in preparation for a new era.
Najib, who is also Pekan MP, was convicted and found guilty on all seven charges of misappropriating RM42 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd by the High Court.
The trial, which started two years ago, also sees the charges carry hefty fines and jail terms of up to 20 years.
Najib has consistently denied the charges and claimed the money was a donation by a foreign monarch. He also pledged to appeal to Malaysia’s Federal Court.
High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, in reading out his two-hour-long judgement at the High Court, ruled that there was no evidence that Saudi Arabia’s late King Abdullah had ever stated any intention to provide monetary assistance to Najib or Malaysia when both state leaders met in 2010.
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