Tengku Zafrul Wants Out Over Strained Ties With Umno Warlords Says Source

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Tengku Zafrul Aziz is said to be a valued member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : Tengku Zafrul Aziz may have been driven to explore a future with PKR due to strained ties with Umno warlords stemming from an internal power struggle and dissatisfaction within the party’s ranks, a source revealed.
A well-placed source who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that certain Umno leaders had been conspiring to sideline the investment, trade and industry minister after the party’s poor showing at the Selangor elections in 2023.
Barisan Nasional lynchpin Umno won a mere 19 of the 108 seats it contested in the last state election – a success rate of less than 18%.
In April, Tengku Zafrul resigned as the state chapter’s treasurer citing his inability to contribute to improving the state chapter. At the time, he criticised Selangor Umno for its lukewarm efforts to revive itself following its poor electoral outing.
“So, I’m not surprised that Umno warlords decided to get rid of him. And Tengku Zafrul noticed this after the state elections,” the source told FMT.
The source also revealed that Tengku Zafrul, an Umno supreme council member, was poised to stand in the Selangor polls. However, his plans were derailed after a certain party leader expressed dissatisfaction with him.
The source said there were also fears that Tengku Zafrul, said to be a valued member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, would outshine, and eventually replace, a certain Umno leader.
“This is typical of Umno warlords. They dislike anyone who might outshine them.”
Traitor or talent? 
Describing Tengku Zafrul as a talented figure with close ties to the royal institution, the source suggested that such strengths likely intensified the unease among the warlords.
“It made him an easy target for certain factions.”
Still, there was a likelihood that Tengku Zafrul would come under fire now that his talks with PKR have come out in the open, the source said, adding that some Umno leaders have already branded him a “traitor”.
“However, everybody knows what actually happened.”
Speculation has been rife that Tengku Zafrul is planning to leave Umno to join PKR.
In a statement on Sunday, he confirmed discussions with PKR over joining the party but said no decision had been made. He also denied being in talks over state-level positions or by-elections, after rumours began to circulate that a move to PKR would see him become Selangor’s menteri besar.
In recent days, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Youth chief Akmal Salleh have expressed their objection to “party-hopping” within the unity government.
However, one PAS leader brushed off the protests as “drama”, claiming that Umno and PKR had already discussed the matter behind the scenes. - FMT

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