Calls for action against Ku Li gaining momentum

A senior Umno leader today suggested that the party must take action against Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for working together with opposition parties on the Kelantan oil royalty issue.

“Umno needs to take action on Tengku Razaleigh. He should not be given any special treatment,” said Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

Mohd Puad, who is also Deputy Education Minister and Batu Pahat Umno division chief said, special treatment is not warranted although Tengku Razaleigh had been a prominent member of Umno.

Mohd Puad's remarks come in the wake of the party's decision to let its members decide on the form of action to be taken against the veteran party leader.

In recent weeks Tengku Razaleigh has come under severe attacks from his own party leaders over his stand in the oil royalty issue in Kelantan.

He has also been involved in a series of ceramah organised by the opposition on the oil royalty issue. He supports PAS' move to ask for oil royalty instead of the compassionate fund offered by the federal government.

Mohd Puad said that Tengku Razaleigh's action against the party was intentional so that Umno would be forced to take action on him and turn him into a hero.

“His purpose (for taking part in the opposition ceramah series) was to challenge the party (Umno) to take action on him so he could be a hero,” he was quoted as saying in Bernama.

Loyalty questioned

Mohd Puad said Tengku Razaleigh's stand on the Kelantan oil royalty issue was inconsistent and differed from when he had held the post of finance minister in the past.

On Tengku Razaleigh's plan to carry out ceramah series on the issue, he said the party should not feel worried as the Gua Musang MP had little influence and mostly depended on the opposition.

Previously senior party leaders, including deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, have questioned Tengku Razaleigh's loyalty to the party.

Yesterday Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin accused Tengku Razaleigh of attempting to bait his peers in his decision to go against Umno on the oil royalty issue.

“He is looking for attention. He wants the party to take action against him so that he will be seen as a hero to his supporters,” said Khairy.

Last week Tengku Razaleigh said that he was still loyal to the party's cause although he continues to voice out Kelantan's right in the oil royalty claim.

The calls for disciplinary action against Tengku Razaleigh come at a time when there are talks of attempts by certain PKR leaders to court the veteran politician to defect to the party.

FMT
28/02/10

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