[UPDATED] Umno joined unity govt to pivot M’sia back to centrism: Tok Mat

KUALA LUMPUR – Umno opted to join the unity government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister in order to steer the nation back to “centrist” ideologies, said the party’s deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Making an apparent jab at the opposition for its “extreme” political narratives, the Rembau MP explained that the country’s future should not be dictated by “rightist or leftist” thinking.

“Looking at how racial and religious issues were used as (election) campaign fodder to an extreme level by a certain political party, we (Umno) believed that Malaysia must go back to the centrist path,” Mohamad, who is also known as Tok Mat, said during his policy speech to Umno’s wings at the party’s general assembly today.

“In the end, Umno chose to prioritise Malaysia.”

He added that while the Barisan Nasional (BN) linchpin’s conflict with Pakatan Harapan (PH) component DAP is well recorded, that stance had evidently failed to draw support from the Malays.

“Have the Malays shown up in droves to support us and make us stronger (because of) our opposition to DAP?

“The past few general elections have shown that behind our scorn for DAP, Malay regard for us did not improve but instead declined,” he said, explaining that this shows how Umno’s acceptance or rejection of DAP is not a factor considered by Malay voters.

He also admitted that the party has long abandoned seeking votes from the non-Malay community, asserting that losing the backing of both communities (Malay and non-Malay) will be the “recipe for Umno’s death”.

He said that another reason behind Umno’s decision to join Anwar’s unity government is the party’s unwillingness to be in the opposition again after it was forced to assume that role following the 2018 general election.

“We realise that being the opposition is not an easy matter. With our limited experience (as the opposition), Umno might have weakened further if it was not part of the government,” he said.

He added that the existence of Perikatan Nasional (PN), which “aims to bury Umno”, had also spurred Umno to reject any form of cooperation with the coalition led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Based on our past experience of working with PN (as the federal government), we have found that it is difficult to work with a party that fights to eliminate Umno once and for all.

“The same goes with (PN component party) PAS. They are never loyal nor genuine. Without any shame, they will have an affair with all parties, especially the ‘widow’ Umno,” he said to a round of applause from thousands of delegates.

The 2022 Umno general assembly, which began today, will see speeches from delegates of party wings – Umno Youth, Puteri Umno, and Wanita Umno. – The Vibes, January 11, 2023