SHAH ALAM - Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States (US) Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz is confident that he will not face disciplinary action from Umno, despite joining non-governmental organisation (NGO) Muafakat Nasional (MN), as he has not committed any wrongdoings.
The Padang Rengas Umno division chief said the party could not take disciplinary action against him because he was only a member of MN and has not defected to another party or joined a different political party.
In fact, the former minister in the Prime Minister's Department and ex-Padang Rengas MP said he had been a member of MN for a long time, even before the 15th General Election (GE15).
However, Nazri said the issue only arose after former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa posted a photo of their meeting at a restaurant last Wednesday.
"MN is not a political party but an NGO, and I joined them before GE15.
"However, this became an issue when Annuar posted a photo of our meeting on social media.
"I joined MN a long time ago, so there is no issue of Umno taking disciplinary action against me as I am not joining any other political party.
"MN is an NGO, what is wrong with that, that would warrant a disciplinary action? No one from Umno has contacted me so far," he said.
Following this, Nazri confirmed that he remained an Umno member and continued his duties as the Padang Rengas Umno division chief after winning the position uncontested in the party election previously.
Nazri also said he recently attended the Padang Rengas Umno division delegates' meeting upon returning to the country.
Previously, he confirmed to a news portal that he remained with Umno even though he has joined MN, an NGO aligned with Perikatan Nasional (PN) led by Annuar who was expelled from Umno in 2022.
Nazri also explained that he remains an Umno member despite supporting MN for a long time.
"MN is an NGO. I understand what Annuar is doing. He is a Pas member. He can do his own thing and I will do mine. MN is not involved in politics," he said.
For the record, Annuar was the Ketereh MP for over three decades before being expelled from Umno over disagreements with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He was appointed as a central Pas committee member and led the party’s campaign in the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan.
Nazri noted that the cooperation between Pas and Umno in 2019 also used the same name, Muafakat Nasional.
"MN has been accepted by both Umno and Pas members. People say MN only focuses on Malay unity, but it does not marginalise non-Malays," he said.
Nazri's status in Umno became a topic of discussion again after Annuar posted a photo of them on Facebook on Tuesday night, thanking Nazri for his support.
Earlier, Annuar, who is also MN chairman, revealed on social media that Nazri had joined the NGO.
"Thank you, Mohamed Nazri, for inviting me and treating me to a meal today. Also, thank you for being a member of MN and providing strong support to the MN NGO.
"MN will remain an NGO and its membership is open to all parties from various political backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and cultures.
"MN prioritises values of moderation and affection, with unity based on indigenous solidarity and mutual respect in a multi-ethnic society," he said on Facebook.