KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Umno senior leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has reportedly called DAP a liability that is adversely affecting Umno’s efforts in winning back Malay support.
The Supreme Council member told Utusan Malaysia that it is already challenging for the Malay nationalist party to gain back the confidence of the majority community in time for the six state elections soon, and DAP is not helping its cause.
“Umno is sincere in making this unity government a success, that’s why we haven’t said anything. But when we are quiet, DAP is the one who makes such statements,” he said, referring to Perak DAP vice-chairman Abdul Aziz Bari’s comment that the Malay support has moved from Umno to Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Nur Jazlan said that DAP should instead be appreciating Umno’s role in the formation of the federal coalition government.
“DAP is one of the reasons why we are finding it hard to gain back Malay support. Because Malaysia doesn’t trust them.
“Their strategy of putting Malays in positions of power in the party no longer works now, so they should appreciate Umno,” he was quoted saying in the Malay daily.
Yesterday, Utusan Malaysia reported Abdul Aziz saying that Umno’s role with the Malays was now unclear as PN gains more support and assumes the role which Umno had previously taken up.
He said this was based on the results of the last general election where PN was expected to lose support, but in the end, it was Umno who had lost the Malay vote.
Abdul Aziz said that Umno was now in survival mode, relying on PH for positions in power.
Umno is also facing public backlash due to its insistence to gain royal pardon for convicted former president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is serving prison time for corruption.
