Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said PN’s true intention was to turn the solidarity gathering for the former prime minister into a “rally for threatened Malays”.

“This is the narrative they wanted to push. They aimed to replicate the success of the anti-ICERD rally,” he said in a Facebook post.

The anti-ICERD rally in December 2018 saw more than 30,000 participants gather at Dataran Merdeka in response to the Pakatan Harapan government’s decision to consider ratifying the ICERD.

The rally was organised by a coalition of Umno, PAS and several Malay-Muslim NGOs. They claimed that the ICERD was a threat to Malay rights and Islam. The government eventually reversed its decision in the face of the intense opposition.

In contrast, more than 3,000 gathered outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya on Monday with supporters from PAS, Bersatu, Umno and NGOs, displaying banners with messages like “#Justice4Najib” and “#BebasNajib”.

Puad claimed that the gathering was part of efforts by PAS to revive Muafakat Nasional, paving the way for the formation of a new government.

“This is why, out of the blue, PN had taken on Najib’s cause,” he said.

He, however, said Umno will not fall into the same trap twice.

Puad had previously shrugged off questions over PAS’s intentions in organising the Jan 6 rally in support of Najib.

Acknowledging the accusations by some of PAS using the rally for political mileage, he said he did not mind them as they reflected Najib’s enduring popularity among Malaysians.

Political analysts had said the PAS-led rally was not about securing justice for Najib but rather a strategic move to gain political mileage.