UMNO should remove Najib for supporting Anwar - Analyst

KUALA LUMPUR: The UMNO Disciplinary Board should convene an emergency meeting to discuss the punishment on Datuk Seri Najib Razak who proposed a conditional cooperation with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the party's meeting on Monday.

Political analyst, Professor Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain said the proposal hinted that the Barisan Nasional (BN) Advisory Chairman may have previously sent a letter in support of the PKR president to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

"If this is the attitude of UMNO leaders, I predict this party will no longer be dominant in the future. We see netizens have also started lambasting Najib on his Facebook page after his proposal in the Anwar issue yesterday.

"If it continues, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) will replace UMNO and the Malay party will become a splinter in the country’s political landscape.

"If Datuk Lokman Noor Adam was once removed from the UMNO Supreme Council (MT), today why can Najib be released?" he asked when contacted here, on Tuesday.

Najib had previously admitted proposing a negotiation with Anwar.

However, the Pekan MP said the talks would include all political parties except DAP, and the report that he 'urged' BN to support Anwar as Prime Minister was inaccurate.

In the meantime, said Dr Ahmad Atory, the party also needs to practice the recommendations of the Chairman of the UMNO Advisory Council, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who wants disciplinary action to be taken against any UMNO member who puts the interests of other political parties first.

It includes sacking from the party and can be taken if it is true that there were key party leaders who have taken such an approach.

Earlier, Anwar expressed his readiness to work with any politician for a system free from corruption and abuse of power as well as upholding political values.

Anwar also said that the party will continue to fight for the reform agenda based on the principles of justice and prosperity for all the people of this country.