ALOR STAR: Kedah Umno today hit out at Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir for claiming that Khairy Jamaluddin had intended to leave the Cabinet last year after losing faith in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) issue.

Its chief, Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin, accused the former Menteri Besar of playing dirty by spreading the lie that Khairy had wished to resign as Youth and Sports Minister last year.

Shaiful alleges that the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) deputy president is desperate to rally support for his new party by making up damaging stories.

He said Mukhriz was out of order in making such an allegation, especially as he is no longer the menteri besar or an Umno member.

“It only proves that Mukhriz… has no principles in making such an allegation…,” he said in a statement today.

He added that the former Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman should have spoken about the matter while he was still the menteri besar and holding a post in Umno.

Shaiful was commenting on Mukhriz’s recent statement that Khairy had intended to tender his resignation last year after losing confidence in Najib over controversies surrounding 1MDB.

Mukhriz claimed that Khairy, however, retracted his resignation after Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi persuaded him not to do so.

Shaiful accused Mukhriz of being childish and having a personal vendetta against Khairy for hitting out at his father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, during the Umno Youth assembly last month.

“I think Mukhriz is trying to confuse his own supporters by creating the impression that Umno is no longer strong, (but) it is actually the other way around.

“Umno is now much stronger, because we have eliminated those who cannot work as a team in the party,” he said.

-NST