Ex-lawmaker quits govt-linked post to toe party line

GEORGE TOWN: Former Teluk Bahang assemblyman and Umno leader Datuk Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain (pic) has resigned as a board member of Universiti Putra Malaysia and UPM Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The Balik Pulau division Umno chief said his departure came after Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad’s resignation as Higher Education Minister on Friday.

“She appointed me to both positions. She has resigned as minister, I have to follow suit.

“For me, it is a matter of principle,” he said yesterday.

Like Noraini, Shah Headan said he was toeing the party line following the party’s supreme council decision to withdraw support for the Perikatan Nasional-led Federal Government.

He said he had kept state Umno chief Datuk Musa Sheikh Fadzir abreast about his action before he tendered his resignation.

Meanwhile, Musa said the state Umno liaison body would decide on the next move once the party supreme council has given further instructions.

“For now, the supreme council only instructed all its MPS to toe the party line by withdrawing support for Perikatan Nasional.

“We will wait for further instruction,” he said.

In Kota Kinabalu, Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan also announced his resignation as Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) board of directors chairman with immediate effect.

Abdul Rahman, who was appointed to the post in February, said he is adhering to the party’s decision to withdraw support for the Perikatan-led federal government.

Other Umno leaders who have resigned are vice-president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, Sabah Umno youth chief Abdul Aziz Julkarnain and Umno supreme council member Razlan Raffi.

They quit their government appointed positions.

Noraini, the Parit Sulong MP, is the second minister to resign after Lenggong MP Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah stepped down as Energy and Natural Resources Minister on Tuesday.