KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan leaders should reprimand their members who have made “antagonistic” comments about the Pardons Board’s decision on ex-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He also asked Pakatan to demand apologies from their members who had criticised the Board’s decision to reduce the prison sentence and fine for Najib, a former Umno president.
“We have studied the antagonistic opinions of certain individuals in certain parties – even in Umno there are some of these ‘kacang hantu’ (little ghosts),” Ahmad Zahid told reporters yesterday.
“As long as these comments and opinions were not said by the party’s main leaders, we do not regard those comments as coming officially from the parties,” he said after a special briefing by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry which he heads.
“However, I ask that the party leaders reprimand those members who have written such comments to delete them and apologise. This will stop the animosity and calm the situation,” he said about former DAP MP Tony Pua, who Umno has accused of going overboard with his remarks on the Pardons Board’s decision.
Pua is being investigated under the Sedition Act for his comments on the Board’s decision to slash Najib’s jail term from 12 to six years, and to reduce the ex-prime minister’s fine from RM210mil to RM50mil.
Najib has been convicted of abuse of power and criminal breach of trust in a case related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
In response to the decision, Pua, who was a central figure in publicising the 1MBD scandal, had asked someone to send him to prison in exchange for being paid RM50mil.
After several reports were lodged, police announced that it was investigating Pua as his comments had “elements of inciting the public to hate and insult the royal institution,” in particular the King’s power to grant pardons.
Despite Pua’s criticism of the decision, Ahmad Zahid said it would not impact ties between Umno and DAP, a component member of the Pakatan coalition.
“The relationship between Umno and DAP has not been affected after the decision by the Pardons Board but as a coalition in the Madani government, we have to respect each other’s opinions”.
Meanwhile, at a separate event in Putrajaya, Ahmad Zahid announced that a permanent secretariat will be created to coordinate and streamline all government programmes for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“There is an overlap of functions and roles in the coordination of the development of the entrepreneur ecosystem and MSMEs in 16 ministries and 50 agencies,” Zahid said, adding that the secretariat will sit under the National Entrepreneur Development and MSME Council.
The council is part of the MSME Strategic Plan 2030 which is aimed at boosting entrepreneurs so that by 2025, these businesses contribute 41% to the gross domestic product (GDP), provide 50% of all jobs in the market and contribute 15% to exports.
