TAKE LEAVE, ZAHID URGED
Umno Youth asks president to focus on court case
IN a unanimous decision, the Umno Youth has asked its party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take leave and rest in order to focus on his ongoing court case.
The Youth wing’s chief Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the decision was made so that Zahid would not be burdened by other matters facing the party.
“Umno Youth unanimously urge the president to consider going on leave and cease from performing his duties as president until this is over,” he said after chairing the youth exco meeting here yesterday.
He said the decision by the youth wing did not mean that Zahid had been viewed as the guilty party.
“We are not punishing him by inferring that he is guilty, or asking him to resign. All that we ask for is for him to take some time off to focus on the case, nothing more.”
Asyraf added that it was unfair to burden Zahid with other party matters while dealing with court charges.
“It is unfair to expect him to lead the party in this state. Nevertheless, Umno has to continue moving fast.”
He said Umno Youth expressed their sympathy and were deeply saddened by the number of charges that the president was facing.
“Let the legal process run fairly, transparently and without prejudice, and let us not allow him to be put under media trial.”
Last week, Zahid claimed trial to 45 charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), graft and money laundering involving millions of ringgit.
The Umno president allegedly committed 10 CBT and eight corruption offences involving over RM42 million, and 27 money laundering offences involving over RM72 million.
Asyraf also refuted reports that the Youth wing was pushing for the removal of Zahid as the party president as reported by two local news reports yesterday.
“I have never heard of this, it is not on Umno Youth’s meeting agenda today. No, never heard of this,” he told Malay Mail yesterday.
In an earlier report yesterday, Malay daily Sinar Harian cited an unnamed source saying that Umno Youth members would demand for Zahid’s resignation when the wing’s executive council members met yesterday.
“Yes, there is a meeting, but nothing of that sort is on the agenda. What’s on our agenda is the Umno Youth retreat.”
When asked if Umno Youth would convey its views to Zahid, Asyraf said he would do so during the wing’s retreat programme at Janda Baik this weekend.
“We will meet with the president at the retreat this weekend,” he said.
On who will take up the role of the president if Zahid went on leave, Asyraf said it was for the Umno working committee to decide.