
The party’s secretary-general, Amir Abd Hadi, said such “irresponsible” statements by the deputy prime minister could lead to negative perceptions of the unity government.
In his presidential speech during the general assembly, Zahid acknowledged Najib’s role as one of the main factors for Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) receiving huge support from the people after the coalition’s downfall in the 2018 polls.
Amir said that Zahid’s statement on political persecution and selective prosecution implied that the unanimous decision by the five Federal Court justices in affirming Najib’s conviction and sentence in the SRC International corruption case was unfair.
Najib was sent to prison on Aug 23 last year after his conviction in the SRC International case was upheld by the Federal Court.
Prior to his incarceration, he had actively campaigned for BN in the Melaka state polls in November 2021 and Johor state polls in March 2022.