BN rejects Ahmad Maslan as sec-gen in another blow to Zahid

Barisan Nasional (BN) has rejected Ahmad Maslan as its secretary-general, in a trend of Umno’s traditional grip on the coalition loosening, MalaysiaNow has learnt.

It is understood that the decision was made during a BN Supreme Council meeting on March 4 where leaders from Umno, MCA and MIC discussed a proposal that BN go it alone at the next general election.

Ahmad, who is also the Umno secetary-general, was appointed to replace Annuar Musa who was removed as the BN secretary-general in January.

Ahmad is seen as among a section of Umno MPs including its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak who are urging BN not to work with Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional at the next polls.

All three are facing scores of corruption charges.

The choice of Ahmad had continued a tradition in BN that those who hold top posts in Umno also hold similar posts at the coalition level.

By convention, the Umno president and deputy president are also the chairman and deputy chairman of BN.

“But with dissatisfaction growing among all three component parties over Zahid’s leadership, MCA and MIC have been refusing to toe any unwritten laws allowing the Umno president to steer the ship,” said a source who is familiar with discussions in the BN Supreme Council.

MalaysiaNow has contacted Ahmad, without a response.

The rejection of Ahmad is the second time Zahid’s choice for the coalition’s secretary-general has not gone down well with BN leaders.

In 2019, MCA and MIC protested the appointment of Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz as the BN secretary-general.

Nazri, who in January announced he would no longer support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, was also Zahid’s choice.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who was acting chairman of BN at that time, reinstated Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor as the coalition’s secretary-general before the post was later filled in by Annuar.