SHAH ALAM - Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki claims that Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi's decision to leave Umno was allegedly driven by the party's refusal to consider his son for the Rengit seat.
Asyraf said he was saddened by Puad's immediate resignation from the party, dismissing claims that Umno was under the influence of external parties as "slanderous."
"He (Puad) personally wrote to me at length, threatening to leave the party and criticised it if the top Umno leadership did not consider his son as a candidate for the Rengit seat," he said in a statement, today.
The comes after Puad earlier announced his resignation from Umno, claiming the party's Johor leadership was no longer free to make its own decisions and had become a "puppet" influenced by the palace.
While he acknowleged Puad's son's leadership potential, Asyraf stressed that candidate selection involved multiple factors and could not rest solely on familial succession.
Asyraf added that it was inappropriate for a veteran leader to insist that his son replace him as candidate for the state seat and to threaten the party when such demands were not met.
He also claimed that this was not the first time Puad had threatened to leave Umno when his demands were not met, alleging that a similar ultimatum was made during the leadership of former party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak when Puad was not renominated as Batu Pahat MP.
He stressed that Umno is not a hereditary party that prioritises family members and relatives for leadership positions.
He added that Umno's struggle transcends individual interests and that the party should not be subjected to pressure over personal demands.
Yesterday, Barisan Nasional announced its list of 56 candidates for the Johor election.