KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi took to the stage at the Umno general assembly to explain the party’s decision to collaborate with Pakatan Harapan, calling on members to end the polemic or the party will be prevented from moving forward.
The Umno president assured members that there was no prior understanding or secret pact that was signed with Pakatan prior to GE15, nor had he acted unilaterally on such matters.
“I know many are asking why Umno wants to work with Pakatan and not Perikatan Nasional,” he said in his presidential address at the Umno general assembly yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid said two days after the polls concluded, Umno had held separate discussions with both Pakatan and Perikatan, and presented its list of demands.
Among items on the list were issues concerning Islam, Malays, bumiputra and the formation of the Cabinet. He said another issue which Umno demanded was that the government could not be identified by the name of the party or coalition forming it but should be known as a unity government.
“Pakatan had responded to us in writing, to state its agreement to our demands. However, Perikatan merely responded that it was prepared to consider our demands,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said another reason why Umno could not work with Perikatan was because of what he described as “betrayal” that was committed by the coalition along with certain individuals in the party.
“We have not even worked together but betrayal has already started. What is more disappointing, it was planned by our own,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid added that when rejecting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree to form a unity government, Perikatan chairman (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) had claimed that he had enough statutory declarations, including 10 from Barisan Nasional, to form a government.
“This is despite the sworn statements and signed pledges to state that the seat which an Umno candidate won belongs to the party,” he said.
Prior to GE15, Umno had prepared sworn statements for candidates to sign that the seats that they won would belong to the party and a letter of undertaking was signed to give mandate to the party leader to discuss the formation of the government, he added.
Ahmad Zahid said the Umno supreme council had weighed the pros and cons of collaborating with other parties, adding that since Pakatan had the bigger number of seats at 82, Umno chose to work with them.
Barisan won 30 seats in GE15, including Umno’s 26.
“This again proves that the decision was made collectively by the leadership despite the pledge signed to allow the party head to negotiate on the formation of the government,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said that Umno’s dismal performance in the recent polls had attracted criticisms, especially towards him as the party president.
He, however, pointed out that during the campaign, there were candidates who had discredited Umno, saying that the party was corrupt, damaged and had lost its direction, so much so that this was used by party opponents to attack Umno.
“If I can say this, the poster boy should also take full responsibility because he is our face in GE15.
“If this continues to be a polemic, we cannot move forward. Instead, we will continue to find faults and fight with each other,” he said.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was named Umno’s poster boy and prime minister candidate should Barisan win the election.
Ahmad Zahid said there were also voices of disagreement about Umno working with Pakatan, where certain individuals had pointed out that the general assembly had decided there would be “No Anwar, No DAP” for Umno.
