PETALING JAYA,Jan 6: Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has expressed confidence that former Barisan Nasional (BN) and Muafakat Nasional (MN) secretary-general Annuar Musa will remain loyal to the party.
“So long as he remains loyal, his experience and wisdom will continue to be an asset to the party,” Shahril said in a Facebook post today.
However, he acknowledged that Annuar had been seen as straying from party lines with some of his recent statements, and that had raised some concern among many party members.
Shahril added that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had the right to decide on the post of BN secretary-general being the BN chairman.
“To me, it is not at all undermining Annuar’s contribution to the party all this while, especially in these challenging times, having managed BN operations during many by-elections and the Sabah election, which Umno won.
“We should not forget this contribution. In fact, the president himself had thanked him in his speech just now,” Shahril said, referring to the meeting Zahid had with Umno division leaders earlier today.
Today, it was reported that Annuar had been removed as BN secretary-general, but he has yet to comment on the matter.
Annuar, who is seen to be friendly with Perikatan Nasional (PN), the coalition which comprises PPBM, PAS, and the Sabah-based STAR and SAPP, had come under fire in recent days.
Meanwhile, commenting on speculation that Umno would withdraw their support for the PN administration, Shahril said the party’s supreme council will discuss all possibilities during their meeting tomorrow.
