Umno veteran Shahrir ’embarrassed’ over Hasni ouster

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PETALING JAYA: Umno veteran Shahrir Samad said he had been left embarrassed that despite a landslide election victory, Hasni Mohammad would not be nominated to a second term as menteri besar.

Shahrir said Hasni’s statement yesterday, in which he called for a young person to lead the state, inferred that another had been named to succeed him.

“So I feel ashamed about attending the Umno assembly next weekend.

“Umno can obtain the mandate, but cannot name a party leader to head the state government,” he said in a Facebook post.

He said that he had laughed at Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan in the run-up to the Johor elections over their inability to name a prospective menteri besar candidate.

He had been certain that Hasni would be a shoo-in. “But apparently he is not fit, and Johor Umno can’t do a thing.”

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1MDB link, party disgruntlement dodge Johor MB frontrunner

KUALA LUMPUR – The frontrunner for the post of Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi has already run into controversy as the public is reminded about his involvement in the 1MDB’s (1Malaysia Development Bhd) false narrative.

Onn Hafiz, the nephew of Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, was the operator of the now defunct portal Malaysian Digest.

The portal had received payment from then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as part of the latter’s media and public relations blitz in support of his administration as well as the doomed 1MDB venture which eventually cost Malaysian taxpayers upwards of RM20 billion.

On April 23, 2019, Onn Hafiz told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that his company Vital Spire Sdn Bhd received a cheque for RM240,000 from Najib to launch the Malaysian Digest portal.

Testifying in Najib’s SRC International Sdn Bhd trial, Onn said he received a cheque for the amount from Najib on Jan 30, 2015 “disseminate news and combat fake news”.

The portal shut down in July 2018 after Barisan Nasional (BN) lost the general election.

Najib was found guilty of seven counts of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million of SRC money; and was sentenced to 12 years jail and fined a total of RM240 million.

Today, Onn Hafiz is one of three Umno politicians for the top job in the Johor government alongside Umno Supreme council member and Rengit assemblyman Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi and former menteri besar and Benut assemblyman Datuk Hasni Mohammad.

However Hasni, the Johor BN chairman seems to exclude himself from the race saying that the position should go to someone young in recognition of the youth who are vital for the state’s future.

As magnanimous as it may seem, it is in fact deemed a face-saving gesture for Hasni after the Palace intervened with its choice of menteri besar.

This has put Onn Hafiz, 43 in the forefront. A close associate of Tengku Mahkota Johor Tengku Ismail Idris from the former’s stint as exco for tourism, youth and sports, Onn Hafiz is said to be the preferred candidate of the Palace.

Speculation that Hasni is not going to be re-appointed was confirmed by Umno Johor Baru chief Tan Sri Shahrir Samad who said he will not be attending the Umno General Assembly tomorrow out of embarrassment as Umno was unable to nominate its own candidate for menteri besar despite winning 40 of the 56 state assembly seats.

“During the campaign we laughed at PN and PH for not naming its candidate for menteri besar. Umno was certain about Hasni.

“But this was not to be and Umno Johor cannot do anything about it,” he said in a Facebook post last night.

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Umno needs to resolve Johor MB issue wisely, says analyst

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will need to resolve potential internal issues if there happens to be a clash of views on the Johor menteri besar candidacy following Saturday’s state elections.

Political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia said this is because throughout the election campaign, only Johor Barisan Nasional chairman Hasni Mohammad was mentioned as the coalition’s choice for menteri besar.

He said if others have their own choices, then they must have the ability to manage the issue well without jeopardising the party’s credibility.

“If Hasni is not appointed, I believe there will be unavoidable internal rifts, as his supporters have been working hard to maintain his popularity as the pillar of BN’s victory in the polls,” he said on Bernama TV’s “Ruang Bicara-PRN Johor Selesai, PRU15 Pula Dicanang” programme last night.

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Why not Hasni, why Onn Hafiz as Johor MB?

From Rahim Zainuddin

Umno is at it again.

Even before the ink has dried on its landslide victory in the Johor state elections, the party’s leadership appears to have pulled off yet another political stunt.

In Hasni Mohammad, Umno has someone with experience as menteri besar, a one-term MP (Pontian, 2004), a four-time winner of the Benut state seat (2008, 2013, 2018 and 2022) and a genuinely popular man both within Umno and on the ground.

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38 Johor BN reps submit SDs to palace supporting Hasni as MB

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) has submitted 38 statutory declarations (SDs) from its newly elected Johor assemblymen stating their support for Benut representative Hasni Mohammad to be appointed the state’s next menteri besar (MB), FMT has learned.

This comes amid talk of a stalemate between the coalition and the Johor palace over the choice of the new MB.

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