Who can speak for Umno if not Zahid, asks Isham

Who can speak on behalf of Umno if not the party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi? Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil questioned.

He asked this in response to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s earlier remark today that discussions between the two parties are still ongoing with leaders other than Zahid, following the Umno president’s statement yesterday blaming PAS for his party’s move to go solo in the 15th general election (GE15).

“If we follow your (Hadi) logic, you cannot speak on behalf of PAS either.

“If Zahid cannot speak on behalf of Umno, who do you want to speak for the party?” Isham (above) asked on Facebook today.

Isham said Zahid won the party presidency as he was voted by the majority of the Umno delegates, meaning he garnered the mandate to speak for and represent Umno in terms of party decisions.

On the contrary, Isham said Hadi secured his PAS presidency without a contest, and it is unknown whether he received the mandate from his party members.

Isham also blamed PAS for the bad relationship between the two parties.

“We used to want Muafakat Nasional, but not even a year later, you went to work with Umno traitors and forced us to accept traitors and give them seats as part of the conditions for the Muafakat cooperation.

“How can Umno grassroots believe you anymore? You are the ones who betrayed Muafakat,” he said.

Meanwhile, Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said any attempt to create rifts in Umno by claiming that the president stands alone and does not represent the party will fail.

“The one who can speak for Umno is, of course, the leader of Umno, not PAS. So it is the Umno president who can speak for Umno.

“Surely it is not that the PAS president is more aware of Umno’s matters and is teaching Umno members. That is not what a friend does,” he said on Facebook.

Zahid had yesterday blamed PAS for Umno’s move to go solo in the upcoming general election, adding that the Perikatan Nasional component party has its “fingers in too many pies”.

Hadi responded to Zahid in today’s PAS muktamar, saying that he viewed it as Zahid’s statement and not the Umno members or their grassroots.

Hadi insists PAS-Umno discussions continue with leaders, minus Zahid  

GE15: PN ready for multi-cornered fights after PAS Youth rejects Harapan

Zahid: PAS' own fault that Umno decided to go solo

Untrue PAS stayed mum on PN's Harapan pact proposal - Fadhli

PAS Youth chief: Negotiations with Umno can go on until nomination day