Wanita UMNO Delegate Claims That Najib Lied About The Support Of 3 Million UMNO Members
Anina Saaduddin held nothing back in her spirited speech in criticism of Najib's leadership.
By Samantha Khor — 14 Aug 2015, 01:54 PM
Anina and other delegates may face action from the party, says UMNO Secretary-General
Tengku Adnan, also known as Ku Nan said, “We are reviewing the speeches delivered at all the divisions. If we find that any of the delegates have deviated from party ethics, we will not hesitate to take action against them.”
Meanwhile, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said that while he regrets Anina's "outburst", it is also important to take note of the message she was trying to convey
He said UMNO needed to be open to what members had to say as they were the voices of the grassroots.
"I want to understand the essence of the message that was conveyed. Even though we can criticise the manner in which she conveyed the message, what is important is what she was trying to convey," he said.
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13 AUG: 10 out of 12 UMNO members have no confidence in Najib, says Anina
Langkawi Umno delegate Anina Saaduddin, who is under the spotlight after her vitriolic speech against Najib, said this when elaborating on her speech at her division’s delegates meeting, a video of which has since gone viral on social media.
"When Najib said that he has the support of three million Umno members, what is that based on? A poll, a meeting?
"For me, it is deception. I ask that Umno members send him (Najib) to a doctor because he might be hallucinating. He does not realise what he says and what he does," Anina told Malaysiakini.
According to Anina, more than 80% of Umno members have lost confidence in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s leadership.
She added that 10 out of every 12 Umno members would answer in the negative if asked whether they had confidence in Najib.
12 AUG: Anina: Delegates congratulated and clapped for me despite 'no applause' directive
"Although there is information that there were orders not to clap when I spoke, there were still those who showed support for me by clapping," she told Malaysiakini.
Anina alleged she was informed by sources that Wanita UMNO leaders had been directed to caution delegates against applauding when she criticised the president during the Umno division’s annual meet last week.
"Despite the directive, delegates still clapped and I believe this a positive sign. They are no longer afraid and they came personally to congratulate me for airing what they felt as well," she said.
Anina, 40, said the alleged 'no applause' directive did not come as a surprise as she had been vocal against the prime minister on social media.
Defending her bold approach, Anina said that a softer approach would not have gotten anyone's attention or worse, she would've been "shunned" like former DPM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
She also disagrees with the notion that party members must support their president (Najib) no matter the circumstance, saying that it's an "unhealthy practice".
"If I had spoken more gently, would anyone have wanted to listen? It was only after I spoke that way that a minister wanted to comment. Would a minister have said anything if I spoke nicely?" she asked.
"I spoke on UMNO's platform, in a closed meeting of the Wanita Umno division delegates. That means I was using the right platform. As an UMNO member, I feel that is the best platform for me to express my feelings about the president. It's not like I was waving a banner and chanting outside Sogo," she said, referring to the shopping complex which is often a favoured location for anti-government protests.
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She said Najib was someone who was averse to criticism because he wanted to defend his position, which is under pressure due to his "own mistakes". Anina also pointed out that her criticism was aimed at the president and not Umno.
"Many of us still love Umno and when I speak, it is also because I also love the party. However, the people's trust has been affected as our leader is not transparent and there are a lot of things still hidden without proper explanation given," she said.
11 AUG: Earlier this month, PM Najib Razak maintained that he will not step down over the 1MDB scandal, as the number of people demanding his resignation is far less than the 3 million UMNO members who voted for him as party president
"With one voice telling me to step down, I will not. Because I know there are three million members with me," he said. "I was elected through a democratic process."
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But not everything is sunshine and daisies in the UMNO camp.
In a recent meeting of Wanita UMNO's Langkawi division, one of its delegates Anina Saaduddin rebuked Najib's claim that 3 million UMNO members are supporting his leadership and suggested that he "be sent for medical treatment".
"Datuk Seri presiden dah kencing 3 juta ahli UMNO. Dia kata 3 juta ahli UMNO sokong penuh kepimpinan beliau (The president has lied to 3 million UMNO members. He said 3 million UMNO members support his leadership)," she said.
“Saya minta Majlis Tertinggi UMNO bawa Datuk Seri Najib 'pi' (pergi) berubat (I suggest the UMNO Supreme Council send Datuk Seri Najib for medical treatment)."
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"Kencing" is a slang term used in some Malay communities to mean “lie” or “cheat”.
Despite that, Anina asserts her support for UMNO and Barisan Nasional, explaining that her criticisms are due to her devotion to the party
“Saya sokong Barisan Nasional. Demi Allah, saya UMNO. Walau apa pun, saya pangkah Barisan Nasional. Jangan pertikai kesetiaan saya kepada Barisan Nasional, kepada UMNO (I support Barisan Nasional. In Allah's name, I am an UMNO member. No matter what happens, I will vote for Barisan Nasional. Do not question my loyalty towards BN and UMNO)" she exclaimed.
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"But look at our president who is lying to us every day. Every day he lies to us when he appears on television," she added. Anina, however, did not clarify what Najib is supposed to have lied to UMNO members about.
"Tapi kita lihat kepada presiden kita yang sedang kencing kita setiap hari. Setiap hari kencing kita, keluar dekat televisyen merata-rata," she angrily exclaimed.
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Kedah UMNO Youth chief Saiful Hazizi Zainal Abidin said that Anina's speech was too extreme and expressed regret over Langkawi Wanita UMNO's failure to take control of the situation
"That action was too extreme. And even if you don't like the president's actions, there was no need to insult him in public.
"The Langkawi division Wanita chief should have taken action, controlled the situation and not let the meeting become a place to vent anger," Saiful Hazizi told Malaysiakini.
The video, which was uploaded on 9 August, has been viewed more than 267k times with more than 9k shares at the time of writing. Watch her spirited speech here:
Anina is not the only Wanita UMNO member who has given her two-cents on Najib's leadership.
The Pasir Gudang division has proposed that Najib "take a rest" from his positions as PM and UMNO president as well as cancel his decision to postpone party elections.
“If Najib indeed has three milllion party members supporting him, we hope he will allow party elections as soon as possible; there’s no need for a postponement,” Malaysia Gazette quoted Norwati Abdul Manaf, who heads the Wanita wing of an Umno branch within Pasir Gudang, as saying. “We Umno members have a right to speak up for the good of the party.”
A memorandum, signed by representatives of 107 party branches, was also handed to Najib on 10 August. Norwati said the 107 party branches did not sign the memorandum on a whim.
“Before it was submitted to Najib, it was shown to our boss, (Johor Menteri Besar) Khaled Nordin. He gave the green light,” she explained.