Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi may remain Umno president pending his 45 criminal charges so long as party delegates do not tell him to step aside, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
While acknowledging that it was Zahid’s prerogative to not take a leave of absence until his criminal case is settled, the former minister pointedly said Umno members could invoke Article 9(2) of party constitution to pass a resolution for Zahid to step aside temporarily.
“It’s entirely up to him, in the first place, to decide what he wants to do. But number two, you must remember, he was elected by the delegates.
“So, really, if the Umno members want it, they just have to have a movement at the grassroots (level) to call for a resolution to ask him to go,” Nazri said when met at the lobby of Parliament.
At the same time, he questioned the insistence of political rivals’ call for Zahid to step aside until he has disposed of his charges of corruption, money laundering, and criminal breach of trust.
Without naming any specific Pakatan Harapan leaders, Nazri noted that some also did not step aside when they had been charged with crimes.
Among PH leaders who remained in their party positions after they were charged previously include Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng.
“So why should we try to show that we are whiter than white? If they don’t resign, they don’t resign la,” Nazri added.
Previously, Umno Youth had urged Zahid to go on leave from party duties until his case is settled, but it was alone in doing so.
The Bagan Datuk MP is adamant he will not step aside. Last week, he also said the Umno supreme council had decided that he should continue to stay on. – Malay Mail