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Shahidan rallies supreme council to block Zahid

Shahidan rallies supreme council to block Zahid
Shahidan rallies supreme council to block Zahid

Arau MP Shahidan Kassim has urged Umno supreme council members to stop party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's alleged attempt to sever the party's ties with Perikatan Nasional.

In a statement today, Shahidan said the supreme council - the party's executive body - have no choice but to abide by the decision of the party's national delegates assembly - the party's highest decision-making body - that cutting ties with PN will only happen when Parliament is dissolved.

"No one, including the supreme council, can overrule the decision of the delegates assembly. If the decision was to be amended, then it has to be done through (another) assembly, not the supreme council.

"Although there were speeches during the previous assembly (in March) calling for Zahid to decide on an exit date, they were not official resolutions," argued Shahidan.

Shahidan's statement today lends credence to intense speculation that Zahid was securing written commitments from the supreme council, and possibly even Umno MPs, to withdraw support for PN next week.

Multiple sources told Malaysiakini that the supreme council was of the opinion that they had no choice because the party cannot be complicit in alleged attempts to stall the reconvening of Parliament.

Shahidan said any effort by the supreme council before Parliament is dissolved would be a violation of the party's earlier decision. Therefore, argued Shahidan, action should be taken against Zahid.

"The Umno president has clearly violated the party's decision. He wrote to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and misled his highness. Secondly, there's the audio clip of him talking to (PKR president) Anwar (Ibrahim).

"Zahid should face disciplinary action but the supreme council is not doing so, perhaps out of cowardice," said Shahidan.

Shahidan previously had a seat in the supreme council when he was the Perlis Umno leader. He was removed from this position in April.

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