Nazri says Umno culture not to question leader and now tells Najib to step away from the party.
Former minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said he was shocked to discover the revelations about Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.
The Umno lawmaker said he was shocked to learn the lavish lifestyle led by Najib and Rosmah could have come from funds stolen from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
He said there were all sorts of exposes being made, which he was not aware of when he was in government.
“I never knew about Rosmah’s jewellery, nor the SRC. When I was in government, even as a minister, I was in the dark about the money or Jho Low,” he said.
Nazri, who is Padang Rengas MP, also expressed his support for investigations into 1MDB.
“If there is a prima facie case, then charge,” he said.
As a fellow Umno member, he said, he had previously always taken Najib at face value.
“Only now we know, which is why I have remained silent because I want to see what more will be exposed,” he added.
The once vocal former minister confessed that he was finding it difficult to be in the opposition.
“For 28 years, I have been a politician in the government but after 28 years, it is tough for me to oppose unless the government has done something wrong.
“It is not in me to oppose the prime minister (for the sake of opposing)…the people have decided,” he added.
Nazri said the new government should be given the opportunity to govern and a judgment on their performance can be made two years before the next general election.
He also vowed to oppose in a constructive manner.
Once a fierce Dr Mahathir critic, Nazri now claims he has no issues with the second-time Prime Minister.
“I never left Umno, it is he who left. But now that he is the Prime Minister, we have to support him. I don’t have a record of fighting the PM.
Nazri also advised Najib to emulate his predecessors’ lead and stay away from the party after stepping down as president or risk seeing the party’s image tainted further.
The former Umno supreme council member pointed out that both Mahathir and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had distanced themselves from Umno when they stepped down, and that Najib should do the same and allow new president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to carry out his duties freely.
“Of course Ahmad Zahid is embarrassed to say it himself. But this is not a question of loyalty, but whether or not you love the party. Najib has been charged now, so if he still doesn’t fully let go (of his responsibilities), it will be hard for the party to move on.
“Umno has no sins; the charges are against him, not the party and as long as there is no dissociation, the party will be affected and it will be hard for us to move on.
“It’s difficult if he doesn’t let us free. We are still under his shadow, so he must understand and follow what Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) did before him,” he said.
Najib, who is currently facing corruption and power abuse charges, stepped down as Umno president on May 12.
The Pekan MP has, however, remained active in the party, recently campaigning for Umno’s candidate during the Sungai Kandis by-election.