Latest news with #Umno
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Umno, Amanah divisions lock horns over Kota Iskandar seat
Amanah's Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) said PH should contest the Kota Iskandar state seat, while Umno's Abd Aziz Sapian said they would let the people judge who truly served their interests. PETALING JAYA : The Iskandar Puteri divisions of Umno and Amanah are gearing up for a possible clash in the next Johor state election, as both stake their claim for the Kota Iskandar seat. Iskandar Puteri Amanah chief Dzulkefly Ahmad had recently said Pakatan Harapan should contest the state seat currently held by Umno, even if it meant a three-cornered fight with its ally Barisan Nasional. 'There is no issue if PH has to face a three-way contest there, including against BN,' he was reported as saying. Dzulkefly, the former Kota Iskandar assemblyman, added that the division had agreed to make this call during its annual general meeting on July 20. 'This shows Amanah's commitment to strengthening the party's presence in Johor and PH's position in such strategic areas,' he said. In response, Iskandar Puteri Umno said it respected the right of any political party to contest any seat and that it was not intimidated by the Amanah man's challenge. The Umno division's information chief, Abd Aziz Sapian, said the party remained committed to bolstering Johor's political stability for the sake of the state's development and the people's welfare. He added that seat negotiations were the prerogative of the leaderships of each party and coalition, not something decided by the divisions. 'The BN assemblyman for Kota Iskandar will continue to serve until the end of his term, unaffected by Amanah's political rhetoric. 'If Amanah chooses to split the votes, Umno sees this as proof of PH's weakness in managing internal consensus. The people will judge who truly serves their interests, and who is merely chasing power,' he said. In the 2022 Johor polls, the Kota Iskandar state seat was won by Umno's Pandak Ahmad with a majority of 4,360 votes ahead of Dzulkefly. Dzulkefly, the Johor Amanah deputy chief, previously said PH might consider going solo in the next state election as BN seemed unwilling to negotiate seat allocations. Johor is currently governed by BN, which has 40 elected representatives, while PH's 12 assemblymen only serve as backbenchers in the state assembly. The opposition comprises Perikatan Nasional's three assemblymen and one representative from Muda.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
GRS treating state resources as personal property, says Sabah Umno
KOTA KINABALU: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government is facing mounting criticism over the alleged secretive issuance of mineral mining licences and attempts to distort the state's oil and gas history. Sabah Umno information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (pic) said public trust had been betrayed, warning that Sabah's resources were being managed 'like a family inheritance' rather than state assets belonging to the people. 'The people's trust is the highest principle in any democracy. Unfortunately, under the current GRS administration, that trust has been blatantly betrayed by political greed,' said Suhaimi, who is also the Libaran MP, in a statement on Tuesday (July 22). He took issue with recent remarks that Sabah's oil and gas sector only began developing after the establishment of SMJ Energy (SMJE) in 2021, pointing out that the RM54bil Sabah Integrated Oil and Gas Project (SIOGP) was launched in 2014 under the Barisan Nasional administration. 'GRS leaders are attempting to rewrite history,' he said. Suhaimi also questioned whether the much-publicised investments into Sabah were truly benefitting ordinary Sabahans or merely enriching political cronies. 'GRS often boasts about multi-billion ringgit investments into Sabah, but the people deserve to know: how much of that truly goes to companies owned by genuine Sabahans?' he said. He said it was unacceptable that the state government remained silent on basic public demands such as clean water, better roads, and stable electricity — yet was swift and quiet when it came to awarding mining licences. 'When it comes to mining licences, the government suddenly becomes swift, rushed, and silent. Is this the real priority of GRS?' he asked. 'Sabah is not the private estate of politicians. It is the people's property.' Suhaimi said Sabah was now in the midst of a leadership crisis, adding that true leaders would not trade the state's land and dignity for political survival. 'The people of Sabah deserve to know who profits and who approved it, because this state is not a personal fiefdom to be controlled by political elites,' he said. 'Do not ever sell out Sabah for personal gain,' he added.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Kota Iskandar showdown brews as Amanah challenges Umno in Johor state polls
JOHOR BAHRU, July 22 — The Iskandar Puteri Umno division is prepared to take on Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) following the latter's intention to stake their claim on the Kota Iskandar state seat for the upcoming state election. Iskandar Puteri Umno information chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Sapian said the division is geared to contest against Amanah, irrespective of whether it's a straight fight or multiple cornered contest in Kota Iskandar. He said the Iskandar Puteri Umno division will not be intimidated by any political manoeuvring made by Amanah or their allies in Pakatan Harapan (PH). 'We are ready to face any form of challenge. 'If Amanah chooses to split votes among themselves, Umno sees this as evidence of PH's weakness in failing to manage internal issues. 'The people will judge who is sincerely looking after their interests and who is simply pursuing power,' he said in a statement today. Abdul Aziz was responding to an earlier statement by Iskandar Puteri Amanah division that laid claim on both Kota Iskandar and Skudai for PH. The former two-term Nusajaya assemblyman (prior to renaming to Kota Iskandar in 2018), said Umno respects the right of any political party to contest and determine their candidate in any seat. However, he explained that Umno determines its candidates and strategies based on the people's priorities, the strength of its grassroots and the need to ensure political stability for the continued development of Johor. 'For Umno, all negotiations and decisions on seat distribution are the prerogative of the party and coalition's highest leadership,' he said, adding that the final decision is not based on the wishes of Umno members at divisional levels. Abdul Aziz said Umno remains committed to strengthening Johor's political stability, especially in the strategic area of Kota Iskandar where where continued development and public well-being are priorities. 'As the Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representative, represented by Umno, in Kota Iskandar, we will continue to serve until the term ends without being distracted by Amanah's political rhetoric. 'Rest assured that the Iskandar Puteri Umno division will continue to ensure that the area remains under a credible and stable leadership that serves the people, and not just a slogan,' he said. Earlier, the Iskandar Puteri Amanah division declared it is prepared for PH to contest solo in Skudai and Kota Iskandar, setting up a possible clash with BN that is incumbent in the latter seat. Its division chief Dzulkefly Ahmad said PH's official decision to contest in both of the state constituencies under the Iskandar Puteri federal seat was the result of the party division's annual general meeting on Sunday. Dzulkefly, who is also Johor Amanah deputy chairman, said the party is prepared for any outcome, including a three-cornered contest, if necessary, by bringing the people's agenda of unity, institutional reform and sustainable development. Kota Iskandar is a highly coveted seat as it is also the location for Johor's administrative capital with the same name. The state constituency was helmed by PH under Amanah after the watershed 2018 general elections. However, PH lost the seat to BN in the 2022 state election, where Umno maintains a strong presence. Skudai has traditionally been under PH and is a known DAP stronghold since 2008. Both state constituencies make up the Iskandar Puteri federal constituency.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Dr M, Zahid withdraw libel suits against each other
Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong ordered former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right) to each bear their own costs. KUALA LUMPUR : In a surprise move, two defamation suits involving Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad before Judicial Commissioner Gan Techiong have been discontinued. This came after lawyers for both parties informed the judge that they had reached an amicable settlement and would not proceed with the suits, including one in which Zahid had cited Mahathir for contempt. The judge thanked both parties for not prolonging the matter. 'The suits are struck out with no liberty to file afresh,' Gan said, adding that each party would bear their own costs. Before the open court proceedings, lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Zahid, along with Mahathir's counsel Mior Nor Haidir Suhaimi and Nizam Bashir, met with Gan in his chambers. Mahathir and his son, Mukhriz, had taken the stand, while Zahid was scheduled to testify as the defendant. Zahid, the deputy prime minister, had initiated committal proceedings against Mahathir over a press conference which the former prime minister held last year after testifying in his defamation suit. Gan was scheduled to deliver his ruling today, but the lawyers informed the court that both suits would be withdrawn. Zahid's suit against Mahathir had yet to commence. Mahathir, who turned 100 on July 10, filed his suit over Zahid's allegedly derogatory use of the name 'Kutty' in reference to him. In his statement of claim, Mahathir alleged that Zahid had defamed him during an Umno divisional meeting in Kelana Jaya on July 30, 2017. He claimed the statement was meant to imply that he was not born a Malay or a Muslim, and that his original name was Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty. In his defence, Zahid said the name Mahathir son of Iskandar Kutty referred to an individual based on information from an old copy of an identity card. Zahid meanwhile filed his suit after Mahathir claimed that the Umno president had sought his assistance to have corruption charges against him 'dropped'. At a press conference on Feb 23, 2022, Mahathir claimed that Zahid and several others had met him at his home immediately after the 14th general election in 2018. He allegedly said Zahid wanted to be 'friendly' with him before Mahathir became the prime minister for a second time in May 2018. Zahid claimed that Mahathir's remarks were untrue, unwarranted, unsubstantiated and mischievous. Mahathir however stood by his remarks and said he was relying on the defence of justification.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Dr M, Zahid end mutual defamation suits over ancestry, corruption claims
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has withdrawn his defamation suit against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over remarks related to his ancestry. Mohamed Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, who represented Zahid, also informed the court that his client wished to withdraw a separate defamation suit against Mahathir, for claiming the former sought the latter's help to drop his corruption charges. On April 20, 2022, Zahid, in his statement of claim, alleged that Dr Mahathir had defamed him when the latter claimed that Zahid sought his help to drop his corruption cases in court. He claimed Dr Mahathir made such statements during his campaign in the Johor state election campaign at Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana on Feb 23. On July 20, the same year, Dr Mahathir filed another defamation suit, naming Zahid, who is also the Umno president, as the defendant over the latter's reference to him as having Indian ancestry and allegedly using a Malay identity only for political gain.
