‘Azmin’s silence is deafening’
S’gor Umno pledges support to Ruler and queries MB over Dr M and Zaid
SHAH ALAM: Selangor Umno members led by state Umno secretary Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz handed a memorandum to the palace at Istana Bukit Kayangan here pledging their support to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
The memorandum was a follow-up of last Sunday’s Daulat Tuanku gathering to pledge their allegiance to the Sultan as well as condemn Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Johan took to task Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali over his alleged silence on the purported insolence displayed by Dr Mahathir and DAP’s Zaid towards the Selangor Ruler.
He said many people were unhappy with Azmin’s stance of not doing anything to reprimand the duo.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali have returned the awards conferred to them by the Sultan, the Selangor Palace has confirmed.
In a statement, the Selangor Council of the Royal Court said Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah returned the awards last Thursday.
“It is hereby informed that His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor has accepted the return of the awards from Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti Hasmah without objections.
“The process to gazette the cancellation of the awards will be carried out in accordance with existing laws and regulations,” said Council secretary Hanafisah Jais.
Dr Mahathir, who is chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, was the recipient of two medals of honour – one from the then Selangor Sultan in 1978, and the other from Sultan Sharafuddin, in 2003. One of titles was the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) (First Class).
Dr Mahathir, 93, reportedly told a Pakatan Harapan rally in October that Malaysia was being led by a prime minister who came from “Bugis pirates”.
His remark triggered outrage from the Johor Palace, Bugis community and associations in Malaysia and some parts in Indonesia.
Sultan Sharafuddin also expressed outrage over Dr Mahathir’s remarks in an exclusive interview with The Star. The Ruler said Dr Mahathir is an “angry man and will burn the whole country with his anger”.
In his first reaction after returning his medals, Dr Mahathir said he decided to do so as he felt that he was “unfit for such decorations.”
In an apparent response to the Ruler, Dr Mahathir said: “Yes, I am a very angry man, you can see how angry I am. I will burn you, I am always burning things,” he said before breaking into a smile during a function in Petaling Jaya.
When asked if he had returned the royal awards as a form of protest, Dr Mahathir replied: “I don’t know, that’s your opinion.”
He dismissed the demand by Sungai Besar Umno division chief Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos urging him to leave Selangor if he cannot accept the Sultan as the head of state.