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POLITICKLENEWZ4U
Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has described as "irresponsible and malicious" the statement by former Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim on the country's leadership transition.

• He said the statement was clearly aimed at creating unease among Umno members in particular and Malaysians in general. Muhyiddin said this in response to Zaid's remarks yesterday in which he urged the Yang di-Pertuan Agong not to appoint Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the new prime minister.

• Muhyiddin said Zaid's statement was not helpful in uniting the people. It also showed his opportunistic character, said Muhyiddin. "I strongly deny Zaid's claim that the country is in crisis over the appointment of the prime minister.

• "The Umno leadership transition is progressing well and it has been proven that Najib has the confidence of Umno divisions to be the new party president," he said in a statement.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has rubbished a statement by Datuk Zaid Ibrahim on the country's leadership transition. Describing the statement as "very stupid", Dr Mahathir said Zaid was a person who would party-hop.

• "Why should the Yang di-Pertuan Agong listen to the opinion of only one man? And the person who made that suggestion is not even a credible figure," he said.

• On the disqualification of Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to contest the Umno deputy presidency, Dr Mahathir said it was "peculiar" that Mohd Ali had maintained his position as the Malacca Chief Minister. "What will the public think of Mohd Ali remaining as Chief Minister? We will hear it in the next general election," he said.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam was not made a scapegoat in the party’s relentless effort to rid itself of money politics, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

• Najib, who is Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister, said the action taken by the party’s disciplinary board to bar Ali from contesting the deputy presidency should not be questioned but respected by all.

• “No such thing. They (disciplinary board members) acted based on information. If they
have information, they will definitely act but if there is none, even though offences may have been committed, the members cannot simply act.”

• Najib said he had confidence in the credibility and integrity of the board members. “This independent body was formed by Umno itself after a special session was called and the board ethics were approved. We have never interfered in their decisions.”