KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Umno’s Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has today slammed his party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s decision to join a presidential council consisting members of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance.

In a report by Malaysiakini, he explained that he feels that way since Umno, that is part of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is not even a member of PN.

"I am embarrassed or find it very strange for him to have accepted to be in the presidential council because Umno is not a member of PN,” he told reporters after a forum with the National Professor Council, referring to Zahid.

He further asked Zahid: "Where does Umno come in? Umno doesn’t come in at all.”

The politician known as Ku Li went on to say that Umno’s move to allow a few of its members to be selected as ministers in Muhyiddin’s Cabinet was to stabilise the political crisis Malaysia was facing earlier this year.

"That’s about all. And we thought after the stability of the political scene, Umno...should withdraw from the Cabinet.

"That was the idea. Not to be there forever,” he said.

Last week, parties in the current administrations, comprising components of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) all agreed to form a presidential council which comprises leaders of each party.

The decision to set up the presidential council was agreed to by party leaders including Prime Minister and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno president Zahid, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang among others.