KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has urged party members to rationalise and realise the logic behind steps taken to address the current wave of challenges, even more so to calm the confusion caused by the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) issue.
"It is not a new challenge. We've been through it many times before during our founder's (Datuk Onn Jaafar) era, then when UMNO was deregistered in the 80s and in 1998 when the deputy president (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) was dropped from all his political positions,” he told members of Umno Batu division yesterday.
Hishammuddin described the online campaign of efforts to split the party, divide the nation and create confusion as clearly in motion with unsubstantiated information being spread continuously by quarters aiming to capitalise on circumstances to destabilise the government.
"They even aim to discredit institutions such as Bank Negara, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the police, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) and the auditor general," said Hishammuddin.
"We need to uphold the credibility of these institutions and trust them to carry out the investigations fairly and conclusively, then to ensure that those found to have done wrong be brought to justice. If you don't have trust in these institutions, then we have nothing else. We can't judge anybody based on postings on social media, but that is what's happening."
He urged UMNO members to regroup and avoid confusion caused by online campaigns against the government, mainly those regarding 1MDB, and the recent Cabinet reshuffle.
"Mainly, what I see is confusion. At the grassroots, members needed to be calmed and informed about what is happening," he said, also citing his meetings with UMNO division members in Johor over the previous two days.
"But when we have been reassured, the situation has been calmed. Also, the announcement by former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that he will not act in ways that will adversely effect the party, showed that he put the party above himself," said Hishammuddin.