Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi has strongly defended party president and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi against accusations from former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker, who earlier today blamed Zahid for damaging BN’s reputation. In a Facebook post, Puad dismissed Ti’s claims, highlighting BN’s electoral successes under Zahid’s leadership.
Puad pointed out that BN, under Zahid, secured significant victories by wresting Tanjung Piai (Johor), Melaka, and Johor from the opposition, while retaining control of the state governments in Pahang and Perak. “In fact, BN won many by-elections. So, the claim that Zahid had tarnished BN’s image or is to blame for MCA winning only two parliamentary seats in Malay-majority areas is wrong,” he stated.
MCA’s Own Shortcomings
Puad argued that MCA’s poor performance in the 14th and 15th general elections was due to its own failures, not Zahid’s leadership. “MCA continues to underperform from one general election to another,” he said, adding that the party had “disgraced itself” and should refrain from excessive criticism. He specifically called out Ti and other MCA leaders for pointing fingers at Umno while ignoring their own shortcomings.
Response to Ti’s Accusations
Ti’s remarks, made earlier today, accused Zahid of ingratitude for suggesting that some MCA leaders were considering leaving BN because they did not receive “toys.” Ti also claimed that BN’s reputation suffered further after its 2018 election defeat, exacerbated by corruption charges against Umno leaders, including Zahid, who received a conditional discharge. In a separate Facebook post, Ti argued that BN could only regain respect if it stopped shielding Zahid and aligning with DAP’s agenda, given DAP and Umno’s alliance in the unity government.
DAP Not the Issue, Says Puad
Puad rejected the notion that DAP was responsible for MCA’s struggles, urging MCA to focus on revitalizing itself, much like Umno has done. He cited Umno’s success in reclaiming Nenggiri, a Malay-majority area, from PAS in a by-election last year as evidence of Umno’s efforts to strengthen its position.
“What has that got to do with DAP? (MCA) should revitalise itself, just as Umno has done,” Puad emphasized.
