KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has confirmed that party Supreme Council member Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz expressed his intention to leave the party last week.
However, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said he advised the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry not to make a hasty decision and for now, Tengku Zafrul remains an UMNO member.
“I shared my views with him and told him there is no need to rush. He is the MITI Minister, the Kota Raja UMNO Division Chief and an elected Supreme Council member —so there’s no reason to hurry.
“He (Zafrul) has agreed to my advice,“ Ahmad Zahid told reporters at the UMNO Supreme Council breaking of fast event here today.
A news portal had reported that intense negotiations were underway regarding the possibility of Tengku Zafrul leaving UMNO to join PKR.
In a separate development, UMNO secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party will mobilise its machinery to support its campaign in the Ayer Kuning state by-election on April 26.
He said the matter was discussed during the UMNO Supreme Council meeting held this evening at Menara Dato’ Onn here.
The by-election was triggered by the passing of its incumbent, Ishsam Shahruddin, on Feb 22 due to a heart attack after participating in a football tournament at City Stadium in Georgetown.
Asyraf Wajdi also said that the meeting had finalised key dates for upcoming party events, namely the party’s branch annual general meetings: (May 7-25), division AGMs (June 9 – July 27) and the UMNO General Assembly (Aug 20 – Aug 23)
