KUALA LUMPUR – Rejecting political cooperation with Perikatan Nasional ally Bersatu does not mean Umno has to find others.
Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, in a statement, said the Supreme Council has yet to change its stance on working with PKR and DAP.
“The decision made at the general assembly in 2019 remains, as all of Umno’s top leaders have made no mention of a political cooperation with PKR and DAP.
“Not cooperating with Bersatu does not mean Umno must find cooperation elsewhere.
“If (PKR president Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim still wants to claim that there are official political negotiations and cooperation with Umno, that is his right to speak, as he has relentlessly said he has a parliamentary majority.
“We do not have to dance to the beat of others, but instead, should focus on strengthening our own party, while working hard to win the people’s confidence.
“The party’s goal is to win the support of the people, with a better offer and vision than our competitors.
“Without the support of the people, Umno will not be able to gain a dominant position as expected by party stalwarts, who hold fast to the party’s history and potential to continue its struggles for religion, race and country.”
The statement comes ahead of Anwar’s 4.30pm press conference in Petaling Jaya.
The opposition leader told Utusan Malaysia in an interview over the weekend that there have been informal talks between PKR and Umno ahead of the 15th general election.
Last month, the Barisan Nasional lynchpin announced that it will no longer cooperate with Bersatu in the elections, and that their ties will end with the dissolution of Parliament. – The Vibes, March 16, 2021
