KAMPAR, 29 Jan 2009: Perak Umno liaison chairperson Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali today announced that he would quit as Gerik Umno division chief on 29 March.
He also announced that he would not be contesting a supreme council seat at the party elections from 24 to 28 March.
Tajol Rosli, an Umno Supreme Council member, was reported to have submitted his letter of resignation as Perak Umno liaison chairperson to party deputy president and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on 26 Jan.
He, however, hit out at a newspaper for reporting today that he had resigned from the post (Perak Umno liaison chair), calling the action unethical.
“I was shocked with the report. This newspaper is unethical. All this while, I have had good relations with journalists but today I am really angry with this newspaper.
“It was a closed-door meeting, so what went on at the meeting should not have been reported,” he said after the launching of the Village Action Plan by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Air Kuning, here.
However, when asked to verify the newspaper report, Tajol Rosli said the press members should ask the reporter who wrote the report about the source.
“I had not given any press statement on the matter, so the information did not come from me. It was a closed-door meeting with (Umno) members. So, you go ask the reporter whether it is true or not,” he said.
The Bahasa Malaysia newspaper in its front-page report said that at a meeting with Parit Umno division leaders and branch leaders in the division held at the Parit Umno building on 27 Jan evening, Tajol Rosli had announced his resignation as Perak Umno liaison chief.
Tajol said he felt responsible for the action of Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim in quitting Umno and defecting to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the newspaper reported.
Tajol Rosli said he would not comment anymore on the matter and would let the party leadership mull over it.
On some Perak Umno assemblymen blaming his leadership for the internal problems in Perak Umno, he said: “I take responsibility … I have to accept what they say.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the Perak Umno issue and Tajol Rosli’s reported resignation as Perak Umno chief, the prime minister said these would be discussed at the Umno Supreme Council meeting tonight. — Bernama
