Tajuddin: Umno can win GE15 by working with PAS, NGOs
Cooperation between Umno and PAS is the best strategy to win the 15th general election, Umno Supreme Council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said.
Claiming that both parties could together win up to 100 parliamentary seats, Tajuddin said that this would trigger other MPs to hop on the bandwagon to form a federal government.
"When PAS and Umno get together, we would have straight fights with Pakatan Harapan. We can win big...
Cooperation between Umno and PAS is the best strategy to win the 15th general election, Umno Supreme Council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said.
Claiming that both parties together could win up to 100 parliamentary seats, Tajuddin said that this would trigger other MPs to hop on the bandwagon to form a federal government.
"When PAS and Umno get together, we would have straight fights with Pakatan Harapan. We can win big.
"People might ask - would PAS and Umno be able to get 112 parliamentary seats to form a government? We might not... maybe we could get up to 100 seats.
"But if we are able to get 100, then many others would want to join us. So, 'lompat si katak lompat' (party hopping) will happen.
“This time they (Harapan MPs) would hop," Tajuddin said during a meet-and-greet session with members of the media in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, last night.
As the Umno-PAS political cooperation has become stronger, he said, the remaining BN component parties have been able to accept the move.
MCA, MIC now understand Umno's direction
Tajuddin further claimed that MCA and MIC have now understood the direction Umno is going in its cooperation with PAS.
The Pasir Salak MP also said that Umno would be adopting the strategy of working together with NGOs that share its aspirations.
"Votes sometimes do not come from political parties, but from associations. The Chinese, for example, they follow their associations.
"We have MCA and MIC, but we want to add NGOs and associations that share our aspirations. We want to work with them because they also have potential leaders, youths who can be fielded as election candidates," Tajuddin said, citing BN’s candidate Ramli Mohd Nor (below) for the Cameron Highlands by-election as an example.
Ramli is a direct candidate of BN and not a member of any political party in the coalition.
Harapan has a 'different agenda'
Asked if Umno would consider working with Harapan components for GE15, Tajuddin said it would not be easy as they don't share the same agenda.
"BN component parties that have been working with Umno, they accept Umno as it is... Umno as a party with an agenda to help the Malays, to protect Islam as the religion of the federation.
"I am speaking frankly here. It’s not that I am against the non-Malays. But these are our agendas.
"Will DAP accept that? Can PKR accept that?” he asked.
However, he added, Umno had no problem working with other BN components as these component parties knew that Umno is a party that is “fair to all and does not oppress the other races.”
Asked if he thinks that the country would always need racial-based parties, Tajuddin said this would only change when every race is on par wit each other.
"We have to work towards that. The earlier the better, so there will be no more race-based politics, but one that is based on the spirit of ‘Bangsa Malaysia’.
"Until various races are at par, that they enjoy equal distribution of wealth, opportunities and level of success… when you and me are at same level, there will be no issue.
"Now the (economic) gap between Malays and the Chinese is so big. So it is with the Indians, for there are many of them who still live in estates," Tajuddin said.
