KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Vice President Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has advised party members to develop inner strength and not expect special privileges when joining the political platform.
He said that in a large political party, various cultures exist, including sabotaging behaviours (cah keting), and members should view these as challenges to overcome.
"In any organisation, especially political parties, there are all sorts of cultures. As politicians, we must have resilience. You can't join a party expecting to be pampered or to receive privileges.
"In any organisation with many members, you will encounter all kinds of behaviours. This is where we are exposed to challenges, build resilience, and learn to understand and overcome them.
"So, if you ask me whether sabotage exists or not, I would say it both exists and doesn't exist—it's up to individual perspectives," he said during a press conference in Parliament today.
Yesterday, Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said that he had not decided on joining any political party, despite Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mentioning earlier discussions on the matter.
He is also the Umno Supreme Council Member who expressed surprise at his party's leadership statements on the issue and revealed that he had not received any direct communication from Umno's leadership to clarify the matter.
"I believe Malaysians are tired of petty and unhealthy politics, including baseless behind-the-scenes attacks, sabotage (*cah keting*), and similar agendas. What the people truly want is not extreme politics but collective efforts to build the nation and its people.
"Many are aware that I've highlighted this issue before, specifically in the context of Selangor Umno. Unfortunately, this problem continues to plague Selangor Umno," he said.
Commenting further, Khaled said that there had been no discussions among Umno's top leadership regarding Zafrul's situation thus far.
This includes discussions about actions to be taken by the party against Zafrul.