Selangor has Umno’s backing, Zahid says after disquiet over local council posts - Malay Mail

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 22 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi asserted today that his party continues to support the Selangor government even after its grassroots members chose to forgo 20 local councillor posts that had been offered.

Ahmad Zahid said he respected the collective decisions made by the 22 Umno state division heads during a meeting yesterday.

“I respect their decision to reject the 20 local council posts offered.

“They are not discouraged, but they want to play a role independently and not sit as members of the local council.

“Although we are not part of the local councils, we will keep supporting all state government programmes held by the local councils,” Ahmad Zahid who is also deputy prime minister told reporters after an engagement session at the Transport Ministry here.

He said there was no question of Umno being “greedy” as alleged and wanting to hold all the posts in the local councils when asked.

“It is not a question of being greedy in this matter.

“We have 22 division heads, so if someone did not get it, then all should not be getting it as well,” he said.

He added that Umno will leave all decisions on the local council government in the hands of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Last Saturday, Selangor Umno chief Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin announced the party’s decision to leave all the local council posts to Pakatan Harapan (PH), its former political adversary-turned-ally.

He denied claims that Umno had pressured PH, and claimed the decision to give up was to prove the Malay national party was not greedy for posts.

He added that the decision had been made during the Selangor Umno meeting attended by all 22 divisions at its Shah Alam office on January 19.

Previously, Megat Zulkarnain said the quota of 20 positions allocated to Umno was just 7 per cent of the 288 member positions, involving 12 local councils in the state.

Last year, the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition and PH joined forces to contest the state election in Selangor following the formation of the federal unity government, a cooperation that saw them win 34 out of 56 seats in the state assembly.

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