Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi has challenged DAP to exit the Cabinet immediately if the party is sincerely dissatisfied with the ongoing controversy surrounding Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki.
The Rengit assemblyman dismissed the recent announcement that the youth wings of both DAP and PAS would participate in a rally against Azam Baki at Dataran Merdeka tomorrow, labeling the move as mere political theatre.
Call for immediate action
In a Facebook post, Puad suggested that DAP leaders do not need to wait for their national congress in July to make a decision regarding their positions in the government.
He urged them not to be selective when looking for justifications to step down.
He stated that if party members wished to act with integrity, they should resign now rather than delaying the process.
This challenge comes ahead of the DAP national congress scheduled for July 12, where delegates are expected to decide if party leaders should vacate their government posts.
Despite this, the party has indicated it will maintain its support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration in Parliament.
Questions over reform motives
DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook previously noted that the congress would evaluate the speed of reforms carried out by the current administration.
This follows a commitment by the Pakatan Harapan component to work with the Prime Minister to accelerate reform efforts over a six-month period.
Puad, however, questioned the consistency of DAP’s stance, asking if the party would only consider leaving the Cabinet if former prime minister Najib Razak was permitted to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest. He suggested such a position would be hypocritical.
He further highlighted that DAP had raised no objections when the contract for the MACC chief was extended on three separate occasions in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
He questioned what specific reforms the party had advocated for during its time in the government throughout that period.
Protest participation dismissed
The Umno leader contended that if PAS and DAP were truly concerned about the allegations involving the MACC and its leadership, they would have organised their own independent demonstrations.
He claimed that both parties are simply attempting to prevent further damage to their respective public images.
The upcoming rally, organised by various NGOs, is set to begin at 3pm near the Sogo shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur before protesters march toward Dataran Merdeka.
The event is expected to see participation from several political figures, including PKR’s Rafizi Ramli and the youth wings of DAP, PAS, and MCA.
