Hishammuddin calls for end to infighting in UMNO

KLUANG: Sembrong UMNO division chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has urged all quarters to stop pitting leaders against each other and creating camps within UMNO, and instead focus on maintaining party stability.

He said he was worried about issues that seemed to be creating schisms in the party of late, including the viral audio recording of a conversation between two individuals with voices resembling PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the UMNO 3.0 movement, adding that the matter was also frowned upon by the people.

"What is UMNO 3.0? It just never ends... I urge all parties, please, it's enough. We have so much more on our agenda. I have already stated what is important is the stability of our own party.

"Efforts to pit the leaders against each other, to create certain camps must stop because what is important now is for us to strengthen our party after the recent UMNO General Assembly," he told reporters after attending the Malaysia Prihatin programme for the Sembrong Parliamentary constituency in Paloh here, yesterday.

Asked whether the recent issues would affect UMNO's momentum in facing the 15th general election, the former UMNO vice-president said it certainly would if it was not dealt with.

"This thing (rumours) has been spreading from before, I myself have been a victim for three years but I still remain in UMNO. (I have been) Accused of various things, (but) I am still in UMNO.

"They can accuse me of betraying the party, (that) I want to hop to another party, but for three years I am still in the party. If we had spent the last three years just thinking about whether Datuk Hisham (Hishammuddin Tun Hussein) is going to hop from the party or not, it would have just been a waste of time and it certainly will not help rebuild UMNO back to the level we hope to," he said.

Commenting further on the audio recording, Hishammuddin said he left it up to the police to handle the matter.

"For me, what is important is the stand of the party (UMNO) and if we go back to the stand of the Supreme Council and the recent General Assembly, it is clear what UMNO really wants.

"Whether the recording is true or fake, it is not something that worries me, because everyone knows the party's stance from the very beginning is 'No Anwar, No DAP' and 'Yes Bersatu' until the 15th general election," he said.

-- BERNAMA