KUALA LUMPUR – Decisions made by the Umno grassroots must be respected and upheld by party leaders and must not be compromised on, said three senior party leaders.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, former party president and current Barisan Nasional adviser Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah met last night to discuss matters concerning the party, days ahead of its general assembly this weekend.
This includes severing ties with Bersatu, looking at new political alliances and urgent need to address the worsening economic situation
“Umno must be firm in listening to and implementing the trust that has been mandated by the grassroots without any compromise,” Najib said in a Facebook post on the meeting.
While Najib made no mention of what he was referring to, the majority of Umno’s 191 divisions has previously decided to sever ties with the Bersatu-led Perikatan Nasional (PN).
This motion is expected to be formalised at the general assembly.
Just yesterday, 12 of the 14 divisions in Kelantan – including Razaleigh’s Gua Musang – officially cut ties with Bersatu and told its Muafakat Nasional partner, PAS, to make a clear and urgent choice which party they are supporting ahead of the general election.
In his Facebook post, Najib said in the meeting, they also discussed Umno’s position in Muafakat Nasional, adding that any decision pertaining to the pact must be based on current scenarios and centred around Umno’s voice.
He also said the general assembly this weekend is the best platform to strengthen the party and continue the solidarity among party leaders and members.
“(The meeting also discussed) the best way to refine the formula on how Umno should move forward in facing challenges.”
Najib also posted that the meeting had discussed the country’s uncertain economic situation and the national debt, which has surpassed 60% of gross domestic product (GDP).
“The recent decision by International Business Machines Corporation to close its Cyberjaya Global Delivery Centre on May 31 is clear evidence of our economic standing and the impact it will cause.
“The ratio of our national debt to the GDP, meanwhile, has already reached 62.2% at the end of 2020.” – The Vibes, March 25, 2021
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