Opposition not fighting for Malay agenda – Muhammad

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib said he returned to Umno because the opposition did not fight for the Malay agenda.

The former Umno vice-president said the position made him feel that the struggle of the opposition, especially PKR in the past five years, had been futile.

“After seeing the situation there, I felt my struggle had been in vain. In the party meetings I attended, we never discussed the Malay agenda.

“When they lost the Malay (agenda) , they also lost their own religious struggle. I found that there are no other parties except Umno which will always fight for the interests of the Malays,” he told a special media conference at the Umno headquarters in Menara Dato’ Onn here yesterday.

Present at the media conference was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Umno president, who announced the return of Muhammad Muhammad Taib to Umno. Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and members of Umno’s supreme council.

Muhammad, 72, said the agenda of the Malay struggle had been his primary focus since he began his career in politics.

“Thanks to the Prime Minister and party president for accepting my return. After this, I pledge to fight for the party especially in Selangor. I see many interests of the Malays have been set aside to their detriment,” he said.

He said the Malays should be with Umno to strengthen unity and the solidarity would ensure the political position of the Malays would be preserved. This is because a split among Malays would invite certain quarters to take advantage of the situation.

When asked when he had decided to return to Umno, Muhammad said his heart had always been with the party.

Muhammad’s return to Umno after five years with the opposition is expected to boost the effort of the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) largest party to recapture Selangor in the 14th general election.

The former Selangor menteri besar for 11 years from 1986 to 1997, who is also known as ‘Mike Tyson’, painted the country’s political landscape with his rise and fall in politics and his struggles to develop the Malays.

With vast experience in government administration, Muhammad was Batang Kali assemblyman for four terms from 1982 to 1999, and was appointed as Selangor menteri besar in August 1986. He resigned as menteri besar on April 14, 1997 following a charge of making a false declaration in Brisbane, Australia on an attempt to bring out RM2.4 million from the country.

The case had not dimmed Muhammad’s political career as he was appointed Umno information chief and Selangor Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman on Oct 26, 2004.

His 47-year experience in politics has become a yardstick for his appointment as a senator on Nov 17, 2006 for three years by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who was the then prime minister.

Subsequently, Muhammad was appointed as the rural and regional development minister from March 18, 2008 to April 9, 2009 after a Cabinet reshuffle by Najib.

Muhammad lost to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in the race for Umno deputy president in the party election for the 2008-2011 term.

After a ‘short break’ in politics, Muhammad decided to join PAS on April 22, 2013.

However, his membership was terminated in July 2015 after he was found to be involved in the Gerakan Harapan Baru which was led by former PAS vice-president Mohammad Sabu. Muhammad left PAS and joined PKR on Sept 11, 2015.