Azmin just as slithery as his mentor, charges Noh Omar
To his supporters, Anwar Ibrahim is a victim of a diabolical political plot, not once but twice, and a messiah. To his rivals, he is nothing more than a charlatan.
And as expected, Selangor Umno liaison chief Noh Omar did not mince words in describing the jailed former opposition leader as a fork-tongued politician, complete with a reptilian analogy.
To his supporters, Anwar Ibrahim is a victim of a diabolical political plot, not once but twice and a messiah. To his rivals, he is nothing more than a charlatan.
And as expected, Selangor Umno liaison chief Noh Omar did not mince words in describing the jailed former opposition leader as a fork-tongued politician, complete with a reptilian analogy.
According to Noh, these are "snake-like" attributes, such as "peddling lies and slander".
Noh said this in an interview with Malaysiakini and KiniTV when asked to compare the leadership of Selangor Menteri Besar Mohd Azmin Ali with that of his predecessor, Khalid Ibrahim.
The Umno leader said Azmin (
on right in photo
), who is also PKR deputy president, has learned well from his mentor.
Azmin served as Anwar's political secretary prior to the latter being sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998 and remained at his side throughout his struggle.
Citing the Sodomy II trial, Noh said it was a personal issue that Anwar turned into a national crisis, claiming persecution in order to garner public support.
"What did the people have to do with this case? There was an attempt to involve the people into the struggle," he said.
Anwar always maintained that his second sodomy charge, similar to the first under the Mahathir administration, was fabricated by his rivals, which the authorities denied.
He is currently serving a five-year prison term after the Federal Court upheld his conviction on Feb 13 last year.
'No place for honest people in PKR'
Noh then went on to claim there is no place for honest people in PKR, and that this is what happened to Khalid.
"If I were to compare. In order to stay (in the party), one has to be like Azmin, who plays politics often," he said.
Those who do not subscribe to this, he added, are forced to leave or sidelined and cited Chandra Muzaffar and Ezam Md Nor as examples.
Noh also pointed out that Khalid had campaigned during the Kajang by-election, despite knowing there was a move to oust him.
"If a by-election is initiated to oust Azmin, PKR will split into two, for Azmin is not like Khalid," he concluded.
Noh also dismissed Azmin's image as a
hardworking
politician who often goes to the ground to check problematic areas and visit the people.
"There is a Malay word - penyapu baru, (new broom) hard working in the early stage. He will come to understand (his responsibilities better) in time," Noh said.
"When he wasn't part of the government, he complained that many things were incorrect, when he is a part of the government, now you see," he added.
Noh also defended BN Sungai Burong assemblyperson Mohd Shamsuddin Lias' decision to reject the offer to chair the state Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and subsequently quit as Selangor opposition leader.
He said Selangor Umno wanted no part in the state government's intention to "make a fool" of the opposition in order to portray itself as a fair-acting government.
He argued that Umno would only accept the post of committee chairperson if the state government increased the opposition membership to three, so it would be equal to the ruling party.
When pointed out there were only three opposition members when BN ruled the state, Noh said the ruling coalition was sincere.
"We were sincere. We did not offer the opposition to chair PAC. What is their intention in doing so (if not) to mislead the people into thinking they are acting fairly," he said.
Part 1: Azmin just as slithery as his mentor, charges Noh Omar
