KUALA LUMPUR – Former Terengganu Umno chief Tan Sri Idris Jusoh has urged Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down as party president, following the party’s stunning defeat in the state polls yesterday.
In a brief post this morning, Idris, who previously served as Terengganu’s menteri besar, said Zahid – who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman – should shoulder the responsibility for the party’s dismal performance by relinquishing his leadership role.
“Umno suffered a major defeat in the state elections yesterday. Umno lost 100% (of its contested seats) in Terengganu. Zahid must resign,” Idris said in the post.
The election results revealed Umno’s abysmal standing, securing only 19 out of the 108 contested seats across Terengganu, Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, and Kelantan.
In Terengganu, key Umno figures Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman, both former state menteris besar, were unable to retain their seats.
Through PAS, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) achieved a supermajority, winning all 32 seats in the state.
Ahmad lost his longstanding seat in Kijal, which he had held since 1990, to PN’s Datuk Razali Idris with a margin of 3,758 votes.
Similarly, Razif could not secure the Seberang Takir seat for a third term, as he was defeated by PN’s Khazan Che Mat with a majority of 2,797 votes. – August 13, 2023