The Malaysian Insight

UMNO lawmakers Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim are the frontrunners to head the Perikatan Nasional Backbenchers Club (PNBBC), said a source.

The government insider said one of the two will replace Shahidan Kassim, who led the PNBBC in the previous administration under Muhyiddin Yassin.

Shahidan is now the Federal Territories minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet.

“The appointment is made among the government backbenchers and these two MPs have been proposed,” the source told The Malaysian Insight.

He added that a decision will be made later this week.

Tajuddin is the Pasir Salak MP who was forced to resign the chair of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd following his gaffes after an LRT train collision in May.

He had backed Muhyiddin to remain as the prime minister even after 15 Umno MPs had withdrawn their support. He backed Ismail for the top post after Muhyiddin resigned.

Azeez, meanwhile, is the Baling MP and a well known supporter of Najib Razak, who is formerly prime minister and Umno president. Azeez was one of the 15 Umno MPs who had withdrawn support for Muhyiddin.

He is also among the Umno members referred to as the “court cluster” for the criminal charges they face in court, and a group that includes Najib and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

PNBBC consists of 23 Umno MPs, PAS (10), GPS (10) and Bersatu (7). – September 7, 2021.