UMNO AGM | Khairy Jamaluddin was likely only critical of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's proposals on the future direction of the party because his mind is closed, according to supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman. 

After Zahid delivered his speech last night, Khairy, the former Umno Youth chief, said that the president should have been clearer on where the party is heading, particularly in terms of plans to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan parties. 

Tajuddin contends, however, that Zahid made himself perfectly clear in his two-hour speech.

"Others who listened understood clearly the new direction brought up by the president.

"But for Khairy to say it was unclear... maybe he wasn't listening, maybe his mind is closed," he said outside the Umno annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre today.

"He has made all kinds of statements to show that he is not supportive of the party leadership.

"He isn't happy, and I don't know for what reason," he added.

'No back door, Umno's door is always open'

Zahid had told the New Straits Times on Thursday that Umno was prepared to form a unity government with any Harapan party in order to return to government. 

Despite the move getting the backing of some Umno MPs, the Youth wing said yesterday that it opposed "backdoor" attempts to return to Putrajaya. 

"I don't agree that our honour should be sold just to find a way to get power through the back door," Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki told reporters at the sidelines of the assembly. 

Tajuddin, however, sees nothing wrong in using such means to return to power.

"What backdoor (entry)? We are not talking about backdoor entry, we are talking about fighting for the next general election.

"But anything can happen in politics. If there is an opportunity, why not? We don't want to close our door.

"Our door is always open, anything is possible in politics," he said.

Though open to working with Harapan parties, Tajuddin drew the line at working with DAP. 

Umno would find it difficult to work with DAP due to policy differences, he said, and because the party is "racist."

DAP still carries the "Malaysian Malaysia" agenda of late Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, he further claimed.