Tajuddin’s removal a warning to those aligned to PM, says analyst

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PETALING JAYA: Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s removal from the Umno Supreme Council serves as a warning to both Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and those aligned to him, an analyst said.

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said the decision to remove the Pasir Salak MP was meant as a clear message on “who calls the shots in Umno”.

Tajuddin is said to be in the pro-Ismail camp, which Fauzi said was evident following his appointment as ambassador to Indonesia.

“If they keep on delaying the 15th general election, they risk being dropped from the list of candidates, which needs Zahid’s approval,” Fauzi told FMT, referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

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Tajuddin dropped as he was critical of party, says Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman was dropped from its Supreme Council for being critical of the party.

However, Zahid did not elaborate.

“You have to ask him what statements he had made, whether at ceramahs or closed-door meetings. He definitely knows what he did,” he told reporters when asked to comment on Tajuddin’s removal.

Zahid said while Supreme Council members were allowed to have differing opinions, all decisions finalised by the party’s leadership must be complied with.

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Umno the ultimate loser in Zahid-Ismail tussle

From Ibrahim M Ahmad

Did a civil war just break out in Umno?

Ambassador-designate Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s removal as supreme council member appears to be the first public flexing of muscles by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

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Tajuddin case may cause Ismail to hold off on elections

PETALING JAYA: The removal of Tajuddin Abdul Rahman from the Umno Supreme Council is likely to have strengthened the resolve of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to delay calling for a general election, a political scientist said.

Wong Chin Huat said Tajuddin’s removal makes clear “who’s the boss” in Umno and Ismail might fear looking like a lame duck now if he agrees to hold the nationwide polls earlier.

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Tajuddin’s dismissal: disciplinary issue or political power play? – Amar Shah Mohsen

MUCH has been speculated over Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s dismissal from the Umno Supreme Council, but simply, he might have just been a pawn in a convoluted game of chess. 

While the justification offered by party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was that of party disciplinary issues, a remark by Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi following Tajuddin’s removal might shed more light on the rumblings within Umno.

Speaking to The Vibes on Friday, Puad had dismissed the notion that the Pasir Salak MP’s sacking had to do with criticism of the party’s leadership, admitting that he and others have been at times similarly critical of the president.

That Tajuddin was the only one shown the door indicates more may be at play than mere disciplinary problems.

And that the timing of his dismissal came in light of his appointment by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia could be a telltale sign of a political power play.

Tajuddin, while a party loyalist, has been known to be an ardent supporter of Ismail Sabri, while at the same time commanding huge support among the Umno rank and file.

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No crisis in Umno, Tajuddin’s removal normal, Puad tells Annuar

PETALING JAYA: An Umno leader has hit out at Ketereh MP Annuar Musa for warning that Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s removal from its Supreme Council will spark a crisis and cause a rift in the party.

Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi told Annuar, the Ketereh Umno division chief, it was normal for the party to remove and replace members appointed to the top leadership.

Puad said a crisis would only occur in the party if there was an instigator trying to aggravate the situation, pointing out that Tajuddin was appointed to the council, not elected.

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