Razaleigh doesn't want to be seen as betraying Umno here.This is his only option anyway. He is going for the presidency afterall. The point is that itself is the irony. He wants Badawi out as he thinks Badawi is the cause of the recent unpopularity seen in the last election, yet he has to maintain 'confidence' in him. Hmm... in a political game the aim is really just to win by whatever strategy.

Thursday June 19, 2008

I will follow party whip, says Razaleigh

KOTA BARU: Former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said he will follow the party whip if the proposed motion to pass a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi materialises.

If it reaches the voting stage, the Kelantan prince said that as a party member, he would likely vote for the party and follow the chief whip.

“I want what is best for Umno as I am an Umno member but the leaders at the top refuse to see the reality of things.

“They prefer spinning things and in the end, the party is now faced with possible defections from members of the Barisan Nasional coalition,” Tengku Razaleigh said.

“I hope and pray that this will not trigger an exodus by others who may have the same feelings as the SAPP,” he said.

Barisan and Umno, specifically, must start mending fences, consolidate its position and show strong leadership to prevent the political landscape from turning into chaos, he said.

He said his recent prediction that a Barisan component party might leave the coalition before the end of the month appeared to be coming true.

The sole independent MP, Pasir Mas’ Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali, said he would liase with PAS, which is his strategic ally, to determine his vote.

Ibrahim said the SAPP move was another example of how even Barisan component parties had lost confidence in Abdullah.

He said this may spark more parties or individual MPs to follow suit.

PKR strategic planning director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is Machang MP, said all 31 MPs from PKR would vote en-bloc based on the party’s decision which would be made after a political bureau meeting.

Saifuddin said PKR would also consult PAS and DAP.