Datuk Lokman Noor Adam said Umno must tap on its former leaders whom he said possessed a wealth of experience and could sway the party’s remaining lawmakers and leaders to remain. — Picture by Razak Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam proposed that Datuk Seri Najib Razak return to head the disintegrating party as its de facto leader.

Commenting on Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s decision yesterday to relinquish his powers to his deputy, Lokman said it was a disappointing development and effectively a capitulation to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s PPBM.

He alleged that Dr Mahathir had sought to prevent Zahid from becoming Umno president and was applying pressure on the latter to step down from the post.

“Umno members are not as stupid as Dr Mahathir thinks. The more enemies that appear, the more we trust in our leadership,” he said in a statement today.

Lokman said that in the current crisis, Umno must tap on its former leaders whom he said possessed a wealth of experience and could sway the party’s remaining lawmakers and leaders to remain.

Umno must urgently close ranks now, said Lokman who criticised party members for allowing themselves to allegedly be used by the rival PPBM.

“Based on this and as an Umno supreme council member, I propose that the Umno president appoint Najib as the de facto Umno leader and federal opposition leader while he is on leave,” he said.

Lokman asserted that the party members would not accept Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, the deputy president currently performing Zahid’s functions, as the interim party leader.

Zahid announced yesterday that he will step aside temporarily pending his criminal trials and hand the reins of the party to his deputy.

Zahid had been under pressure to resign or temporarily surrender his position after lawmakers and members began abandoning the party in droves.

He is also on trial for 45 charges ranging from offences under the Penal Code, to the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing, and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.