Jump ship: Allegation a psychological war - Tajuddin

Claims that senior UMNO leaders and cabinet ministers were willing to join the new party to be formed by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is sheer nonsense and absurd.

UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said the allegations were merely propaganda by some desperate people to mislead the public, particularly UMNO members.

"The allegation is a psychological war waged by the other side (the opposition) against UMNO," he told reporters after opening the Permatang Pauh Puteri UMNO delegates meeting here, on Sunday.

Tajuddin advised party members not to believe the rumours.

A portal reported that former senior editor of the New Straits Times, Firdaus Abdullah had predicted that several UMNO top leaders would switch to Dr Mahathir's new party and the opposition.

It was claimed that such a decision was following lawsuits by the United States Department of Justice's (DOJ) to seize billions of assets allegedly misused from the country's investment fund 1MDB.

The portal quoted Firdaus as saying that UMNO leaders had already started discussions with Dr Mahathir.