UMNO veteran quits, alleges palace influence over Malaysia's Johor government as Onn Hafiz denies claims
UMNO Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi has resigned from the party, alleging Johor UMNO is no longer free to make its own decisions and is influenced by the palace. Johor caretaker chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi has strongly denied the claims.
- Dr Puad resigned from UMNO and accused Johor UMNO of operating under palace influence.
- Onn Hafiz strongly denied the allegation and said the assembly dissolution followed constitutional procedures.
- Johor UMNO plans to lodge a police report as campaigning intensifies ahead of the state election.
JOHOR, MALAYSIA: A fresh political dispute has erupted in Johor after Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi announced his immediate resignation from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), accusing the party's state leadership of being unable to make independent decisions and alleging undue influence from the Johor palace.
The allegations were swiftly rejected by Johor caretaker chief minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who described the claims as inaccurate and misleading and announced that Johor UMNO would lodge a police report to enable investigations by the authorities.
The public exchange comes less than three weeks before Johor voters head to the polls on 11 July, with nomination day scheduled for 27 June.
Puad announces immediate resignation
In a Facebook post published at 8.46am on 25 June 2026, Dr Puad, an UMNO Supreme Council member and former Johor State Legislative Assembly speaker, confirmed that he was leaving the party with immediate effect.
He said his resignation would allow him to express differing views without being accused of undermining the party and added that he remained respectful towards UMNO as a political platform for Malays and Malaysians.
Anticipating criticism over his decision, Dr Puad dismissed suggestions that he was acting out of personal interest.
He argued that he was leaving at a time when UMNO appeared politically strong and preparing to contest all 56 seats in the upcoming Johor election.
Dr Puad noted that several prominent figures, including Khairy Jamaluddin, Hishammuddin Hussein and Noh Omar, were seeking to return to the party after observing its strengthened position.
Allegations against Johor UMNO leadership
Dr Puad said the principal reason for his resignation was his belief that Johor UMNO was no longer free to determine its own direction.
He alleged that the party was being controlled by the palace in its decision-making processes and claimed to possess evidence supporting his assertion.
According to Dr Puad, Onn Hafiz had informed him during a meeting at Saujana on 21 June 2026 that the palace had instructed him to dissolve the Johor State Legislative Assembly on 1 June 2026.
He further alleged that the caretaker chief minister had become a "yes man", and claimed Johor UMNO had become a political "puppet" constrained by external influence.
Dr Puad said he was undertaking what he described as an act of "political courage" to expose the matter before it became more serious.
"I need to carry out 'political courage' by exposing this wrongdoing before it becomes worse," he said.
He added that he expected criticism and personal attacks following his remarks but was prepared to defend his position.
Onn Hafiz issues strong rebuttal
Less than an hour after Dr Puad's statement, Onn Hafiz issued a detailed response rejecting the allegations.
The Johor UMNO chairman denied ever informing Dr Puad that the palace had ordered the dissolution of the state assembly.
"I strongly deny the allegation by Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi that I ever informed him that the palace had 'ordered' the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly," he said.
Onn Hafiz explained that the dissolution process was carried out after obtaining royal consent from Tunku Mahkota Ismail, who is serving as Regent of Johor, in accordance with Article 23 of Part Two of the Johor Constitution of 1895.
He stressed that the chief minister could not dissolve the assembly unilaterally and that the process required royal assent before taking effect.
According to Onn Hafiz, he had formally sought consent and publicly announced the dissolution only after approval was granted.
He said obtaining royal consent was a constitutional requirement and should not be interpreted as political instruction or interference.
Police report to be lodged
Onn Hafiz accused Dr Puad of misrepresenting a legitimate constitutional process and creating the perception that the Johor royal institution was interfering in UMNO's political affairs.
He described the allegations as serious and warned that they could touch on sensitive issues involving race, religion and royalty, commonly referred to as 3R matters in Malaysia.
"UMNO Johor will make a police report to enable investigations and further action by the authorities," he said.
He also urged all parties to respect the royal institution, uphold the constitution and avoid using the monarchy as a tool in political disputes.
Election battle intensifies
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive Johor state election.
Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have all announced plans to contest all 56 state seats.
BN currently holds 40 seats, PH controls 12 seats, PN has three seats and MUDA holds one seat.
Despite cooperating at the federal level, BN and PH remain direct rivals in Johor.
The election could also feature multiple four-cornered contests following the relaunch of Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), led by former federal ministers Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Bersama has announced plans to contest 15 seats, many of which were won by BN in the previous election.
Meanwhile, tensions have also emerged within PN after Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) announced the end of its political cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
