KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman today to consider why the latter was unceremoniously removed as a supreme council member.
Zahid said it would be improper for him to reveal why he ordered the removal of Tajuddin, Malaysia’s next ambassador to Indonesia, but said the reason should be clear to the fiery Pasir Salak MP.
“I think you (the media) have to ask him and I think that’s for the best. It’s unfair for me to tell the public about the reason why (he was sacked) because he definitely knows what he has done.
“You have to ask him about the statements that he gave, the speeches, contents of talks, or anything that he spoke of during closed meetings, please ask him,” he told reporters at the launch ceremony of Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth Job Fair 2022.
He added that every Umno supreme council member has to toe the party line and abide by its decisions from its annual assembly, which included calling for an early 15th general election.
In his speech today, Zahid reiterated that the general election must be held soon before the country begins to suffer more from inflation or, worse still, stagflation.
“We must not wait until the end of this term because by that time, the inflation or stagflation will be at its peak so that's why it is important to get back what people called a new mandate so that we can gain trust from the people again,” he said in his speech.
He also said the Umno supreme council will meet at the party headquarters tonight to discuss recent developments.
Earlier today, it was reported that Tajuddin was dropped as the party’s supreme council member without any explanation via a letter dated June 21 that was leaked online.
In the letter, Umno secretary general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan expressed the party’s gratitude towards the seasoned Pasir Salak lawmaker.
Tajuddin was named the ambassador to Indonesia by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government, but has yet to receive his credentials from Yang diPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The decision to make the controversial MP the nation’s ambassador to Indonesia was greeted with criticism by members of Umno, MPs, former diplomats and the general public.
However, Ismail Sabri previously defended the decision by saying that Tajuddin is "a seasoned and experienced politician".
The outspoken MP has made headlines for the wrong reasons several times in his political career, and was removed in May last year as the non-executive chairman of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd after he joked during a press conference on a light rail transit (LRT) crash.
