Perak Umno to meet Najib to discuss defection

IPOH, Jan 26 – The Perak Umno Liaison Committee will meet party deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur on Monday evening to discuss Bota Assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim’s defection to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Its chairman Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali said Najib was expected to issue a statement after the meeting.

“I am also asking Datuk Nasarudin to meet the Umno president (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) as there is nothing that cannot be resolved. If he is free, he can also meet Najib tomorrow,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing an emergency meeting of Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, here.

Tajol Rosli also hoped that Nasarudin would “think deeply” about his action and return to Umno.

Tajol Rosli also dismissed rumours that a number of BN assemblymen would be joining Pakatan Rakyat, saying such talk was mere speculation.

Asked whether Nasarudin had before this voiced out any problems to him, he said the assemblyman had never done so.

“Perhaps problems could have cropped up since the divisional elections last October when Nasaruddin contested the Bota Umno division chief post against the incumbent Datuk Mohd Zaim Abu Hassan and lost,” he said.

Tajol Rosli also said that Nasaruddin had not contacted him so far and his phone calls to him (Nasarudin) had gone unanswered, although some Umno members were in contact with him.

“Perhaps he feels embarrassed to speak to me after what happened, but I hope he will reconsider the decision (of joining Pakatan Rakyat) he made,” he added.

Twenty of the 28 Barisan Perak assemblymen attended the emergency meeting which ended at 11pm. The rest – other than Nasaruddin – were out of the state at the time. – Bernama