Tengku Razaleigh will leave it to Umno to decide his fate in the party. - Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — Some Umno supreme council members openly grumbled at their meeting two days ago that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah appears to have ‘immunity’ to dispute the federal government’s stand on oil royalty for Kelantan, and recommended action against the party veteran.
The Malaysian Insider understands some supreme council members want action against the Kelantan prince and have, for the first time, asked the party rank-and-file to provide feedback against the long-serving Gua Musang MP.
“There was proposal for action against Tengku Razaleigh... but it wasn’t a proposal for strict action,” an Umno supreme council member told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.
“There was also the view questioning the inaction against Tengku Razaleigh when the party had used to take strict against members who act against party policies,” another supreme council member said.
But both said issues related to the politician popularly known as Ku Li was not the main agenda at the Thursday night meeting. The founding Petronas chairman had insisted Kelantan was entitled to the 5 per cent royalty but the federal government said no, as Petronas was extracting oil and gas beyond the state’s territorial waters.
“They touched on it but it wasn’t the main discussion,” one of them said, referring to the roiling debate over oil royalty demanded by the PAS-ruled Kelantan government.
“Some members felt the issue should be handled carefully,” he added, saying this is due to the Gua Musang MP’s position as he is a party veteran and not just an ordinary member.
On Thursday night, Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said any potential action against Razaleigh would be taken after getting feedback from party members. “We want to hear from the members first,” the prime minister said.
A few hours before the supreme council meeting, Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reiterated he was surprised at Razaleigh’s statement which was not in line with the federal government’s decision and explanation about the oil royalty for Kelantan.
Muhyiddin had once said Razaleigh should openly state his stand on the issue. Apart from the deputy prime minister, other members and leaders particularly from Kelantan have urged the Kelantan prince to quit his Gua Musang parliamentary seat while asking the party to punish him.
It is understood that the Umno management committee chaired by Muhyiddin has yet to discuss the issue that has festered in the past few months.
Umno executive secretary Datuk Abdul Rauf Yusoh told The Malaysian Insider that the party will not set a time-frame for members to give their feedback on Razaleigh’s stand.
“Any members or the branches can send in their opinions... we will not set a time-frame. The branches can send to the divisions, divisions can send to state liaison committees and onwards to the headquarters,” said Abdul Rauf.
He said all views will be considered by the party’s top leadership, reiterating the views can be submitted at any time and not just during the annual meetings for branches between May 1 and June 15.
Razaleigh, who has been in the limelight over the issue since the Pakatan Rakyat offered him to lead a caucus on the oil royalty last November, has said he will leave it to Umno to decide on his punishment, which includes being sacked from the party if they find him guilty of any offence over the issue.
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