Zahid gripes over objections to his Umno top post return

Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 87 charges for alleged corruption, today voiced his dissatisfaction over complaints about his return to the top post in Umno, after going on leave since December last year.

He said their calls that Umno’s supreme council should have a say in the matter were unfair to him.

"When I wanted to go on leave they did not say it must be discussed by the supreme council. This is my right as the lawfully elected president of Umno,” he said when opening Tambun Umno’s annual general meeting in Ipoh today.

Zahid returned to the post on June 30. Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan discharged the duties of the president while Zahid was on leave.

Former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin (above) was reported as saying that the supreme council should have been consulted about his (Zahid’s) returning to the number one post.

The Rembau MP said he disagreed with the opinion expressed by former prime minister and former Umno president Najib Abdul Razak that Zahid was free to return to the post without having to get the nod of the supreme council.

Najib is also facing a slew of charges for alleged criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering.

The Umno-led BN coalition lost in the 14th general election in May last year after having been in power in the country since independence in 1957.

- Bernama