Tok Mat downplays Umno division heads' meet, denies discussion to call for intervention in Najib's case

IPOH, Aug 23 — Umno's deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Umno's divisional leaders’ gathering at the party headquarters at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre (WTC) yesterday was just a normal meeting.

The politician also known as Tok Mat said that there was no reason for the public to speculate about the meeting.

"Nothing, it was a normal meeting,” he told reporters briefly last night after officiating the pre-launching of the Perak Barisan Nasional election machinery at the Casuarina Meru Hotel here.

Mohamad said the meeting also did not discuss the motion to push Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to intercede in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC trial as reported.

"No such thing. Why can’t Umno meet? Whenever we meet, people make a lot speculations. Can’t we just sit together? There will be people jealous with us, Why?” he asked.

"Other parties are meeting often, no one asked anything. When Umno gathered there will be a lot speculations,” he said.

Yesterday, Umno's divisional leaders gathered at the party's headquarters at WTC for an emergency meeting with president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

It was reported that a majority of the Umno division heads who attended the party’s emergency meeting rejected a motion to push Ismail Sabri to intercede in Najib’s SRC trial.

A source close to the matter informed Astro Awani that they disagreed with the instructions given out by the Umno leadership, adding that some of the division heads in attendance were forced to attend or risk losing their appointment to stand for the party during the 15th General Election (GE15).

The source also said that many Umno division heads believe that should the prime minister get involved in Najib’s court cases, it would cause the party to lose at GE15.

The source informed Astro Awani that the meeting today began with the topic, with Ismail Sabri urged to delay Najib’s SRC case by another three months.

The source also claimed that the second order of business of the meeting was also to ask the prime minister to advise the attorney general to prosecute Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

Malay Mail was informed by party insiders aligned with Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the number of attendees for the meeting was less than 80.

However, those aligned with Umno president Ahmad Zahid claimed that 158 division leaders were present.