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Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged the coalition to maintain its grip on Johor ahead of the July 11 state election, framing the state as the party's crucial political stronghold.
The son of former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi has defended his father's critical remarks about the party's trajectory, asserting they represent a constructive effort to safeguard Umno's institutional future.
Political analysts caution that Umno's coalition rivals stand positioned to capitalize on internal tensions revealed by Puad Zarkashi's departure, viewing his exit as symbolic of deeper fractures within the party establishment.
Former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi has dismissed suggestions his resignation was motivated by disappointment over his son's failure to secure a candidacy, instead characterising his departure as a deliberate move to provoke reflection among party leadership.
Police have initiated a nationwide investigation into alleged social media statements by former Umno veteran Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi after 153 reports were lodged across the country today.
UMNO secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki says Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi quit the party after his son was rejected as a Rengit state election candidate, dismissing the senior member's palace control allegations.
A senior UMNO figure has resigned from the party, leveling accusations that Johor's leadership operates without genuine autonomy. Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi cited concerns over candidate selection irregularities.
Onn Hafiz Ghazi, the Johor Barisan Nasional chairman and former health minister, will contest the Machap seat in the upcoming state elections, reinforcing the coalition's dominance in the southern state.
Ex-Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin has deferred his candidacy decision for the upcoming Negri Sembilan election to Umno's top brass, leaving his political future in the party hierarchy's hands.
Tengku Zafrul, who lost his Kuala Selangor seat in the 2023 general election, has indicated interest in contesting a Selangor constituency in the forthcoming GE16 ballot.
Johor State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi will not seek re-election in the Rengit constituency for the July 11 state polls, prioritising generational renewal in UMNO's candidate slate.