Latt Sariman denies being sacked as PM's aide

Former special officer to Prime Minister, Datuk Latt Shariman Abdullah today denied that he, along with four other individuals, were sacked from being Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s political aides.

Latt said he had already resigned from his post to enable him to contest in the 13th general election (GE13) in May.

“I am puzzled why this matter has been repeated when I had already resigned... and it’s been three months now,” he said when contacted by Astro Awani.

Latt explained that he contested under the ticket of the Umno Division Chief of Kuala Kedah and not because he was an advisor or an officer of the PM.

“I contested under the name of an Umno division chief... and I am eligible,” he said.

He said his former post was just an officer of the Prime Minister when Parliament was in session and that he served under the Finance Ministry.

Latt also denied being responsible for advising the Prime Minister in his strategy for GE13.

“There is no issue... the ones that have been advising the PM is not us, but his ‘war room’ advisors,’ he said.

Recently, a local news portal had reported that Najib may dismiss all of his political aids due to their ‘unsatisfactory performance’.

Latt, together with Datuk Shahlan Ismail, Datuk Mohd Shafei Abdullah, Datuk Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh and Datuk Mohamed Suffian Awang were listed in the report as bound to be sacked from their respective positions for ‘purportedly putting their interests above the Prime Minister’.

On May 27, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin in an interview with Chinese newspaper, China Press, had criticised the PM’s advisors for contributing to BN’s loss in GE13.

Daim had urged the Najib to sack his advisors, blaming the wrong strategies used by them during the election.

He also blamed the infighting in BN that caused the party to suffer great loss in some constituencies.