KUALA LUMPUR - Umno President Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that he has been whispered and informed of a group of '10 Umno warlords' set to jump ship during his meeting with Indonesia President Joko Widodo earlier today.
And so, the Bagan Datuk MP wished these soon-to-be turncoats -- who supposedly will join Perikatan Nasional (PN) -- "all the best" in their future endeavours, hinting zero interest in persuading them to remain with Umno.
"I wish them the best of luck," said Zahid who is also the Deputy Prime Minister at a press conference at the party's HQ in Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre, here, today.
On June 5, Bersatu Information Chief Datuk Razali Idris revealed that there were several prominent figures who have been sidelined in Umno will join one of the component parties in PN.
At the press conference, Zahid added that Umno now has a "new soul" with the new appointments of Umno chief information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and Umno Secretary-General Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
"These ‘warlords’ do not affect us," said Zahid, confidently.
"Umno will remain as Umno, while the Malays, especially Muslims, will support us and we will end all slanders that had affected us in the previous 14th and 15th General Elections (GE14 and GE15).
"For the upcoming state polls in the six states, we will organise our work together with our friends in the unity government," said Zahid.
Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan are expected to go to the polls this year because said states did not dissolve their respective legislative assemblies when GE15 was held last year.
In GE15, Umno only won 26 parliamentary seats compared to the 54 that it won in GE14.
However, the party ultimately managed to form the government with PH as GE15 ended in a hung parliament where no single party had enough numbers to form a government on their own.