KUALA LUMPUR – The Selangor Umno Youth wing has urged Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin to apologise and retract her social media posting involving former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, warning that Umno Puchong will withdraw cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the division level if no action is taken.
Selangor Umno Youth chief Datuk Mohd Imran Tamrin said the posting was provocative and interfered with Umno’s internal affairs, particularly matters concerning Najib, which he said should not be left to political commentary by leaders from other parties.
“If within 24 hours YB Yeo Bee Yin and her team do not retract the posting and issue an apology, Umno Puchong will decide not to cooperate with Pakatan Harapan at the division and parliamentary constituency level,” he told reporters during a press conference outside the Puchong parliamentary service centre today.
The controversy arose from Yeo’s Facebook post linking to a news article titled “No house arrest for Najib”, which was shared just hours after the High Court ruled that the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s addendum on Najib’s house arrest was invalid, as it had not been deliberated during the Federal Territories Pardons Board meeting.
In the post, the DAP national publicity secretary described the ruling as “another reason to celebrate at year’s end”.
Mohd Imran stressed that the move would not affect Umno’s cooperation within the unity government at the national level, describing it as a localised decision limited to the Puchong division.
“This has nothing to do with Umno’s position at the national level or the stability of the coalition government. It only involves Umno Puchong,” he said.
Commenting on recent court developments involving Najib, Mohd Imran said the party respected the judiciary and remained confident in the independence of the courts, adding that the legal process was still ongoing.
“As a lawyer, I believe there are points of law and fact arising from the High Court’s decision that can be raised at the appeal stage. There is still room to pursue justice through the proper legal channels,” he said.
He urged Umno members and Najib’s supporters to remain calm and continue placing their trust in the judicial system, emphasising that the courts must be allowed to function without political pressure.
Mohd Imran also criticised what he described as selective commentary by certain DAP leaders, saying they should instead focus on court decisions involving their own party.
He cited the case of a former DAP Perak leader (Paul Yong Choo Kiong) who was convicted of raping a foreign housekeeper, in which the Federal Court reduced the sentence from 13 years to eight.
He said the ruling demonstrated the independence of the judiciary and helped preserve diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia, as the victim had initially lodged her report with the Indonesian Embassy.
“If anyone wants to celebrate something by the end of 2025, celebrate decisions that strengthen public confidence in the judiciary and uphold justice, rather than politicising Umno’s internal matters,” he said.
Mohd Imran added that issues affecting relations within the unity government could be raised at the party leadership level during upcoming meetings, stressing that cooperation within the coalition must be based on mutual respect.
“Umno wants cooperation based on mutual respect. Unnecessary statements and postings only strain relations within the coalition,” he said. – January 23, 2025