Umno deputy: BN's cooperation is with PAS, PN only to resolve crisis
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said its formal cooperation is with BN and PAS while its involvement in Perikatan Nasional is merely to help resolve a political crisis triggered from within Pakatan Harapan and sparked the fall of its own government.
"Umno had never joined PN as PN is not a registered political entity like BN.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said its formal cooperation is with BN and PAS while its involvement in Perikatan Nasional is merely to help resolve a political crisis triggered from within Pakatan Harapan and sparked the fall of its own government.
"Umno had never joined PN as PN is not a registered political entity like BN.
"Umno's relationship with PN is only an understanding to save Malaysia from the political crisis triggered by a group within Pakatan Harapan on their own accord.
"In simple words, it is an understanding to form the government to govern Malaysia due to the failure of Harapan and nothing more," Mohamad (photo) said in a statement today.
He was responding to DAP's Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming (below) who said that Umno is in a dilemma in PN as it has to play second fiddle to its own splinter party Bersatu.
Mohamad said there was no dilemma and maintain that Umno will remain as the main Malay party in the country.
"Umno does not face any dilemma with regard to its position in PN. It has no agreements in any form whatsoever with PN, what more Bersatu and GPS.
It only joined the government based on the principle of supporting (Bersatu president) Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister to resolve the political crisis in Malaysia.
"As a political party, Umno's focus now is to prepare the party for the coming general election, together with its partners in Muafakat Nasional and BN.
"Umno will continue to be the biggest Malay political party in the country and god-willing, the party will, as usual, win the most number of seats in the general election," he said.
Umno's cooperation with PAS is referred to as Muafakat Nasional while its ties to MCA, MIC and PBRS are under the banner of BN," he said.
He said the "understanding" in PN differs from Umno's cooperation with PAS as there is a formal charter which was vetted in their general assemblies.
"Umno also has political cooperation that ties it to MCA, MIC and PBRS through BN. BN is a registered political entity," he said.
Ong had also speculated Umno's next move and suggested that it may break away from PN after the Covid-19 pandemic is resolved.
He claimed that this was to triggered a general election as both Umno and PAS are confident that they can do better than Bersatu.
However, Mohamad said his party won't reveal its cards.
"How Umno plans to do it (win most seats in the general election) is Umno's business and internal strategy, along with PAS and BN.
"As the biggest Malay political party, Umno must contest in all its traditional seats and those that it has a strong potential of winning.
"Umno's strength is in the Malay heartlands and it will strengthen its influence, visibility and services in all areas.
"God-willing, with the support of millions of members, Malays and all Malaysians, Umno will work hard to win as many seats as possible," he said.
Only then, he said, Umno can become the majority party to lead the government as before.
He said anyone who wishes to work with Umno is welcomed to do so but must join Muafakat Nasional or BN.
The Pakatan Harapan government collapsed in late February after Muhyiddin took Bersatu out of the coalition.
Muhyiddin, together with a group of PKR defectors led by former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, joined forces with the opposition to form the PN government.
PN is comprised of Bersatu, BN, PAS, GPS and other minor parties.
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