PETALING JAYA: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz are trading barbs after the Padang Rengas MP claimed that 25 lawmakers have lost confidence in him.
“Lost confidence to another MP?” asked Ahmad Zahid.
“That’s a cartoon story,” he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.
Nazri had claimed that 25 from 41 Barisan Nasional MPs had lost confidence in Ahmad Zahid and that they did not want him to represent them during his audience with the King recently.
He also claimed that the 25 MPs had agreed to give Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein the mandate to meet the King and to “set the record straight” over their opposition for PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming prime minister.
Last October, a letter allegedly from Ahmad Zahid to the King, made its rounds on social media pledging the support of all Umno MPs for Anwar to be prime minister.
Ahmad Zahid’s office has since claimed the letter was fake.
Nazri, however, claimed that he has evidence on the purported secret collaboration between Ahmad Zahid and Anwar, saying that nothing was comical about the matter.“That letter is genuine and he did send it. It may be comical to him because he didn’t get our consent,” he added.
Nazri also claimed that they (the 25 MPs) have evidence of Ahmad Zahid’s long phone conversation with Anwar.
“We can prove that it’s him. It’s not a one-sentence conversation. It cannot be doctored.
“These are not comical things. These are real things that happened and I think Zahid better reply to that,” he told The Star yesterday.
Attempts are being made to contact Ahmad Zahid as of press time.
Nazri added that after the 25 MPs signed letters of consent to give Hishammuddin the mandate to meet the King, it showed that they had lost confidence in Ahmad Zahid’s leadership.
He also clarified that the MPs had signed letters of consent and not statutory declarations (SDs), as reported previously.
“The 25 of us signed letters of consent, not SDs, for Hishammuddin to represent us in any decision made in the best interest of the party.
“If that doesn’t mean that we have lost confidence in Zahid,
then I don’t understand what is,” he said, adding that he was the one who organised the MPs to sign the letters.
Nazri also said the 25, including himself, were prepared to meet up with Ahmad Zahid to hash things out.
“Meet with us. Be a man. Face-to-face. Ask me if I have lost confidence in you and I will say yes.
“Ask the others and they will tell you they are tired of this. It is not helping us,” he said.
Asked if there are any political surprises expected in the coming days, Nazri said when the need arises, everyone would know.
“I don’t lie. I’m the organiser.
“The only surprise is that I am leaving the country for a two-month holiday and will be back just two weeks before Parliament reconvenes in order to quarantine.
“Just to relax and after that, I will be back,” he said.
by 
