Puad Quit UMNO After Son Not Named As Rengit Candidate - Asyraf Wajdi

JOHOR BAHRU, June 25 (Bernama) -- UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi's decision to leave the party stemmed from dissatisfaction over his son not being considered as a candidate for the Rengit state seat, according to UMNO secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

Revealing the matter in a Facebook post, Asyraf Wajdi also described Mohd Puad's allegation that the Johor palace controlled Johor UMNO and had ordered the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) as slander.

He claimed Mohd Puad had previously threatened to criticise the party and quit UMNO if the party leadership did not accede to his request.

“He wrote to me at length, threatening to quit the party and attack UMNO if the party leadership did not consider his son as a candidate for the Rengit seat.

“It is true that his son is young and has considerable potential to be groomed as a future leader. However, the party must take many factors into account when selecting candidates for an election,” he said.

Asyraf Wajdi further claimed that Mohd Puad had made a similar threat during the presidency of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, warning that he would leave UMNO if he were not renominated as the Member of Parliament for Batu Pahat.

Asyraf Wajdi stressed that UMNO is not a hereditary political party that prioritises family members or relatives for leadership positions.

“The party's struggle is far greater than personal interests, family demands or individual disappointment. UMNO has contributed significantly by providing opportunities, positions and a platform for many leaders to serve and build their reputation.

“It is therefore inappropriate for the party to be threatened and attacked simply because personal wishes were not fulfilled,” he said.

Asyraf Wajdi said UMNO must remain steadfast as a party championing race, religion and the nation, and should not bow to pressure from any individual.

Earlier today, Mohd Puad announced on Facebook that he was resigning from UMNO with immediate effect, saying the decision was made voluntarily and would allow him to express his views more freely.

Following the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly on June 1, the Election Commission has set June 27 as nomination day for the Johor state election, while polling will be held on July 11.

-- BERNAMA