GEORGE TOWN – Umno members should accept if the party president does not hold the post of prime minister, said Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Zahidi Zainul Abidin.
Contrary to convention, where the Umno president is assumed to be the candidate for prime minister, he said this is a new normal that the party would find itself in, and having two individuals in such posts can be tolerated.
Umno's 161 divisions, now holding their annual general meetings, could be inclined to support the proposition of having Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as party president while Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob continues as prime minister, he said after opening a Jawi Peranakan culture and arts exhibition here yesterday.
Zahidi, who is deputy communications and multimedia minister, said that the present arrangement can continue until Umno leads BN to victory in the next general election, and, if it benefits the party, it can continue indefinitely.
Going by results in the Melaka and Sarawak polls, where BN and its ally Gabungan Parti Sarawak regained two-thirds majority in their respective states, Zahidi said that voters are also sending a message that they are willing to accept this proposition.
“We should learn from our mistakes in the past. Umno’s infighting and betrayal among each other had allowed the opposition to take advantage. The political temperature has not yet cooled.”
Earlier, Zahidi praised Joe Sidek Productions for organising the Peranakan festival, supported by the ministry through the revival of the economic growth master plan Penjana and through investment agency MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd. MyCreative provided a grant to help regenerate Penang's creative arts industry.
The influence of Jawi Peranakan – the fusion of Arabic and Indian Muslim culture – in Penang’s cultural heritage can also be seen through performing arts, food, and batik as well as in artistic designs. – The Vibes, December 20, 2021
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