Najib facing pressure to resign as UMNO rebel group 'meets'

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A series of scandals and mishandlings have resulted in yet another movement within UMNO seeking to oust its current president, in the same way Abdullah Badawi was forced to resign following BN's poor performance in the 2008 elections.

At the centre of this latest rebellion, said to be spearheaded by several senior party warlords, is the deep disenchantment with not only prime minister Najib Razak but also his wife Rosmah Mansor, described BN's greatest liability in the coming general elections.

Revealing this at a press conference today, PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali said this development was the reason why pro-UMNO quarters had created a diversion, spreading a rumour claiming PAS's Murshidul Am Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat met UMNO veteran Tengku Razaleigh in a bid to have Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim replaced.

Dismissing the rumour as a non-issue because "there was no such meeting", Mustafa said reliable sources had informed him that opposition against Najib within UMNO was reaching boiling point, and was aimed at removing Najib before the next general election, widely expected to be called early next year.

“At this time, I am not interested to disclose who they are in the movement but it is a strong movement by UMNO warlords themselves,” he added.

Mustafa (right) said Najib was aware of this development but chose to stay put in spite of a series of scandals linked to him including the murder of Mongolian agent Altantuya Shariibuu, the purchase of the Scorpene submarines, as well as the recent handling of the massive Bersih rally on July 9.

Former UMNO members behind coup plan?

Mustafa's claim comes in the wake of a blog posting by well-known political commentator Mohd Sayuti Omar, saying that Penawar, an association grouping former UMNO MPs, had held a meeting recently to demand Najib's ouster.

The meeting, said to be held several days ago, was chaired by Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, the former minister of Rural and Regional Development in Abdullah Badawi’s cabinet, who also served as Dr Mahathir Mohamad political secretary and was said to have played a major role in the campaign against then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

According to Sayuti, the group will meet again today.

"It is expected a statement will be issued after the meeting. It is very likely that Penawar will explain what has transpired and deny that the association was asking Najib to step down," he wrote.

Muhyiddin's role

Earlier, several PAS leaders said Najib's deputy Muhyiddin Yasin (left) was leading the call for his ouster.

"If Muhyiddin had once told (former prime minister) Pak Lah to step down as prime minister during the UMNO Supreme Council meeting, it is possible that he will do it again now against Najib,” said PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub.

Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad meanwhile claimed the emergence of an alliance between Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mahathir’s son Mukhriz Mahathir.

“Will Muhyiddin, Mukhriz and Mahathir plot to bring down Najib to ensure that UMNO continues to hold Federal power? Will this 3-M faction gain the support of the Chinese and Indians whom Najib had tried to win over?" he wrote in news portal The Malaysian Insider.