KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah looks certain to face ''drastic action'' from his party over his dissenting stand on the Kelantan oil royalty issue, claimed veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.
The DAP politician said that recent remarks by Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin indicated that the stage was being set for drastic action by Umno against Tengku Razaleigh, a former party vice-president.
“When Najib said on Thursday night that it was up to Umno members to decide if action should be taken against Tengku Razaleigh for continuing his campaign against the federal government over Kelantan’s oil royalties claim, the stage is set for drastic action by Umno against the Kelantan prince and elder Umno statesman,” Lim wrote in his blog entry.
He also said that Muhyiddin had more than once expressed displeasure at Tengku Razaleigh’s “unrepentant recalcitrance”.
“(Muhyiddin has) openly questioned Tengku Razaleigh’s loyalty to Umno and accused him of trying to confuse the public over the oil royalty issue,” he added.
While admitting that any possible action by Umno against Tengku Razaleigh was an internal party matter, Lim nevertheless pointed out that the oil royalty issue raised by the Gua Musang MP concerned a larger public interest.
He added that Tengku Razaleigh was championing the state rights of not only Kelantan but also other states such as Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, which were directly affected by the oil royalty controversy.
Tengku Razaleigh's stand on the oil royalty matter – in which he supports the call made by the PAS-led state government for oil royalty, and not compassionate payment, from the federal government – has caused severe discomfort for the BN-led federal government.
Apart from labelling the federal government as acting like a “Godfather”, Tengku Razaleigh had also lashed out at the federal government for not stemming the signs of decline everywhere in the country.
He was quoted in a media report last week as saying that even Malays were getting disillusioned with the state of the nation and were leaving the country as a result of that.
He was quoted as saying “something must be wrong in this so-called Malay Land (Tanah Melayu) when they (Malays) are leaving”.
Yesterday, 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.
Khairy: Ku Li is baiting us
Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has accused Tengku Razaleigh's decision to go against Umno on the oil royalty issue as merely an attempt to bait his peers and get himself declared a hero.
"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.
“I don't believe he will quit the party. A departure will not benefit him. He knows this because he has done it before," said Khairy.
He added that Najib had already issued a signal and was awaiting the views of Umno members before deciding what to do to Tengku Razaleigh.
"The youth movement has also gone down to the grassroots to collect members' views," he told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the Kelantan Youth Carnival in University Technologi Mara Kelantan.
FMT
27/02/10
The DAP politician said that recent remarks by Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin indicated that the stage was being set for drastic action by Umno against Tengku Razaleigh, a former party vice-president.
“When Najib said on Thursday night that it was up to Umno members to decide if action should be taken against Tengku Razaleigh for continuing his campaign against the federal government over Kelantan’s oil royalties claim, the stage is set for drastic action by Umno against the Kelantan prince and elder Umno statesman,” Lim wrote in his blog entry.
He also said that Muhyiddin had more than once expressed displeasure at Tengku Razaleigh’s “unrepentant recalcitrance”.
“(Muhyiddin has) openly questioned Tengku Razaleigh’s loyalty to Umno and accused him of trying to confuse the public over the oil royalty issue,” he added.
While admitting that any possible action by Umno against Tengku Razaleigh was an internal party matter, Lim nevertheless pointed out that the oil royalty issue raised by the Gua Musang MP concerned a larger public interest.
He added that Tengku Razaleigh was championing the state rights of not only Kelantan but also other states such as Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak, which were directly affected by the oil royalty controversy.
Tengku Razaleigh's stand on the oil royalty matter – in which he supports the call made by the PAS-led state government for oil royalty, and not compassionate payment, from the federal government – has caused severe discomfort for the BN-led federal government.
Apart from labelling the federal government as acting like a “Godfather”, Tengku Razaleigh had also lashed out at the federal government for not stemming the signs of decline everywhere in the country.
He was quoted in a media report last week as saying that even Malays were getting disillusioned with the state of the nation and were leaving the country as a result of that.
He was quoted as saying “something must be wrong in this so-called Malay Land (Tanah Melayu) when they (Malays) are leaving”.
Yesterday, 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.
Khairy: Ku Li is baiting us
Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has accused Tengku Razaleigh's decision to go against Umno on the oil royalty issue as merely an attempt to bait his peers and get himself declared a hero.
"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.
“I don't believe he will quit the party. A departure will not benefit him. He knows this because he has done it before," said Khairy.
He added that Najib had already issued a signal and was awaiting the views of Umno members before deciding what to do to Tengku Razaleigh.
"The youth movement has also gone down to the grassroots to collect members' views," he told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the Kelantan Youth Carnival in University Technologi Mara Kelantan.
FMT
27/02/10
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