Zahid: I'll meet prime minister soon on royal addendum
The Umno president, who is also the deputy prime minister, said he hopes the prime minister will use his discretion to consider and act on the wishes expressed by the Umno division chiefs during the meeting.
"I will convey their (the Umno division chiefs') wishes to the prime minister during a meeting that will be held within the next day or two.
"Hopefully, he (Anwar) will exercise his discretion as the prime minister to ensure that the wishes of the Umno division chiefs are fulfilled.
"Of course, this will be done in accordance with existing governance and legal frameworks," he told reporters after officiating the Tampin Umno division delegates' meeting at Dewan Perdana here today.
Present were Negri Sembilan Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias and Tampin Umno Division chief Datuk Isam Mohd Isa.
Zahid was asked to comment on the gathering of 145 Umno division chiefs recently who urged Anwar to take full responsibility for implementing the royal addendum, which would allow Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.
The division chiefs said the matter had already received the consent of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and therefore, there should be no further reason to delay its implementation.
Zahid also said the meeting involving the Umno division chiefs, led by Wangsa Maju Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Shafei Abdullah, reflected the voice of the party's grassroots.
Zahid, who is the rural and regional development minister, said they were solely focused on the implementation of the royal addendum concerning Najib and had no intention of overstepping the authority of the King or interfering with the prime minister's responsibilities.
"They merely wanted to express the wishes and concerns of the grassroots, as well as their sympathy for Najib," he said.
Commenting on the remarks by Titiwangsa PKR division chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman, who claimed that the Umno division chiefs' demands were inappropriate given the current stability of the government, Zahid said that no other issues were raised apart from the matter of the royal addendum.
"I hope those in that camp do not undermine the existing political stability," he said.
On the statement by Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that the coalition is ready to replace the current government, citing a better track record and experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, Zahid dismissed Muhyiddin's remarks as mere fantasy.
"We cannot stop anyone from dreaming, because dreams are free. But it's enough to recall that his administration was known as a failed government," he said.
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