Mohamad Hasan respects Tengku Zafrul's exit from Umno
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan respects the decision of Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz to leave the party and pursue a political direction more aligned with his personal views.
Mohamad said the move was neither surprising nor unusual, given the increasingly dynamic and diverse political landscape in the country.
He said every individual has the right to choose their political path, adding that Umno will continue to move forward, focusing on rebuilding the party's strength and championing the people's interests.
The Foreign Minister said Umno has never relied on any single individual, as the party was built on grassroots strength, a spirit of struggle and the trust of the people.
'People come and go, and that's the nature of politics. What matters is that the struggle must go on,' said in a Facebook post today.
Mohamad also expressed appreciation for Tengku Zafrul's contributions during his tenure in the government under Umno's banner.
He said Tengku Zafrul, who is Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, had played a significant role as a technocrat contributing to the country's economic and financial sectors.
Yesterday, Tengku Zafrul announced in a Facebook post that he had resigned from Umno and expressed his intention to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
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The Star
39 minutes ago
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A shot in the arm for PKR with Tengku Zafrul
THERE isn't going to be any by-election called to make way for Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz to contest in Selangor. There is no compelling reason for anyone to make way immediately for the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, who has announced his decision to quit Umno and plans to join PKR. His term as a Senator will only expire at the end of the year, which means he still has about six months to go as minister. At this point, all talk that he is eyeing a Selangor state seat is mere speculation by the media. Why not a safe parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur where the options are wider and better? Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Amiruddin Shari has already said he is remaining as the Mentri Besar. It is also no secret that the Selangor palace expects the Mentri Besar to complete his full term as chief executive of the state. Whether the newly-elected PKR vice-president will decide to focus instead on a parliamentary seat in the next general election, expected to be held within two years, is another matter. But as of now, there is no likelihood of any change in Selangor. There has been much debate over Tengku Zafrul's next political plan. Umno is understandably upset that the party would lose a Federal Cabinet post and there have been accusations that he is not a loyal member of the party. Amidst all the noise, the harsh reality is that Selangor Umno is in the doldrums. It hasn't recovered from its beating in the last general election and seems to be heading nowhere. Umno contested in 22 seats in the 2022 General Election, and lost all. Tengku Zafrul himself lost to Amanah's Datuk Seri Dr Zulkefly Ahmad in the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat. The political prospects for Selangor Umno haven't improved and despite the hue and cry over Tengku Zafrul's resignation, no one has a clue as to how Selangor Umno can recover its lost seats. While there have also been brickbats over whether a newbie deserves a ticket to contest for PKR, no one has disputed Tengku Zafrul's capability. Let's face it, all parties have fielded young and new faces in every election. It has never been about the length of a candidate's membership in the party. As Malaysia navigates a critical juncture in its economic and political journey, the role of capable, forward-looking leaders has never been more crucial. Tengku Zafrul entered politics as a technocrat but his alignment with the unity government has led to intense private conversations about his potential future within PKR. Without a doubt, the Prime Minister is comfortable with his role as MITI Minister. This is especially so when Malaysia needs to negotiate with the unpredictable Trump administration and its retaliatory tariffs. Like him or loath him, no one would dare say he has not done his job well as a Minister. Should he proceed to join PKR - and if his application is approved - it will certainly strengthen Malaysia's reformist agenda as well as multi-racial politics. Urbane, professional and approachable, he has global networking. At a personal level, he enjoys a wide circle of multi-racial contacts, friends and supporters. More importantly, he brings a rare and valuable experience from both the public and private sectors. He is a natural bridge between the government and private sectors, and we do need politicians who understand investments, digital transformation, green energy, the semi-conductor industry and industrial transformation. Unlike some Malay politicians who thrive on race and religion, Tengku Zafrul has stayed above such communal agenda. Instead, he maintains a moderate voice and prefers to focus on results and policies. Malaysians are sick and tired of chest thumping politicians who polarise the nation with the narrative of race and religion. A stable and progressive government with plans for long-term reforms, and a performance-driven leadership, is needed more than ever. Tengku Zafrul's entry into PKR will add depth to the party's economic branch and reinforce the image that the party places importance on competence.
Malay Mail
43 minutes ago
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‘No loyalty, no problem': Zahid says Tengku Zafrul's exit won't spark tensions in Umno
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Malaysiakini
4 hours ago
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Will politicians listen to Agong's good advice?
YOURSAY | 'PKR, known for infighting, also spreading 'virus' (of division).' Agong warns against too many parties, factions Mario T: This is good advice from our Agong, but will the politicians put service to the rakyat above money or power? I am afraid not. The avaricious craving for money by whatever means will continue to plague the nation like an incurable disease. Once you have let loose a bull, it is going to be almost impossible to catch it and place it under reins. Corruption in every stratum of society has reached a point of no return. What is presently being investigated by the MACC or police and prosecuted is just a small visible tip of an iceberg. Traveloka Winning: This is a timely reminder for PKR because PKR is always the source of infighting. Not only is it known for infighting, but it also spreads the 'virus' (of division) to virtually everyone. This 'virus' has resulted in our winning PAS splitting, leading to the formation of Amanah, then Umno splitting further into Bersatu, and Bersatu splitting into Muda and Pejuang. Worse still, PKR continues to generate infighting among the various factions in the party. I am not even talking about factions within the party that everyone knows about. I'm talking about how Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also PKR president, poached Senator Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz to join PKR. This is humiliating for Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, creating tension in the (dis)unity government. To rehabilitate the political landscape, PKR and specifically Anwar's dynasty (his wife, former deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah) must be forever barred from participating in elections. Only then can our country hope to have unity. Mazhilamani: The most divided community appears to be just one. The way it keeps creating new parties, it is only a matter of time before each state will have its own party or parties broken down to Jati Malays, Javanese, Acehnese, Sundanese, Banjarese, Minangkabau, Bugis, among others. Eventually, the majority Malay group will attempt to lead the country with the minority brought under their mercy. Malayans of different races started as equals, but after 68 years, see how divided we have become and with some communities treated as minorities. It is now the responsibility of the Registrar of Societies to ensure that the registration and approval of race-based parties are immediately rejected, including applications from the Chinese and Indian communities. Please take the advice of the Agong, his concern may become a reality. IndigoTrout2522: In a democracy, people are free to vote for any candidates or political parties. If politicians or parties lose the trust and confidence of the voters and therefore their votes, they won't survive politically. Evidence has shown that once powerful or popular politicians, as well as political parties, have become irrelevant when voters lose confidence in them, regardless of whether they are old or new parties. The voters will decide, come the 16th general election. WhitePony9855: Daulat Tuanku, thank you for the timely reminder, but knowing our politicians, they won't listen. The 3Rs (race, religion and royalty) are the main divisive subjects played up by most politicians. Some of them seemed to be insulated against our laws. They play up the 3R, yet the authorities won't act against them. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
