Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has ridiculed the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan for having “six captains” at its helm.

"If the ship has six captains, we can't put 'harapan' (hope) in them although the 'pakatan' (pact) of the ship wants to provide hope. There is no future,” he said.

In order for a political ship to be successful, the Umno vice-president said it must have a single captain to administer and steer the vessel.

"In order to be part of a political ship, we need a strong durability. When a ship is being steered by a captain, there shouldn't be a second or third captain. One is enough.

"There's a ship with six captains. It's not only in a mess but they also don't have a clear direction. Let the sailors help the main captain and his assistant,” he was quoted as saying by NST Online.

Though Zahid did not mention names, it was an obvious reference to the leaders in Harapan which comprises former foes Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Muhyiddin Yassin, Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu.

Mahathir is Harapan's chairperson whereas Anwar is the de facto leader. The latter's wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the president of the coalition.

In another development, Umno information chief Annuar Musa once again trained his guns on DAP, accusing it of indulging in racial politics and urging the people to vote wisely in the coming general election.

He said what is more important than issues which crop up is to know which party is truly multiracial and can champion all races in Malaysia.

“In our country, there is no place for racist politics, chauvinists and politics of hate as used by DAP.

“DAP's ideology and political approach can turn to poison over time and affect the stability of the relationship between the races in this country,” he was quoted as saying by Umno Online.

Annuar was speaking at the weekly programme organised by Media Umno and the party's information unit. This week's title was “Membongkar Wajah Sebenar Dap” (Exposing DAP's true face).

The programme also featured Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) deputy president Huan Cheng Guan and former DAP activist Razali Abdul Rahman.

Huan claimed that DAP had failed to administer Penang in a proper manner, citing the recent floods and development projects.

“This is why some mock DAP by calling it 'Developer Action Party' or 'Damn Arrogant Party'..,” he said.