As Zahid keeps mum, some Umno leaders weigh options

Rumours of a Pakatan Harapan-BN pact are rife amidst a chorus of Umno leaders calling for their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to resign but his uncharacteristic silence encourages more leaders to weigh in with polarised views.

Umno supreme council member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah is of the view that it was time that BN took its place in Parliament as the opposition playing the role of check and balance to the government.

Owing to the present uncertainty as to which coalition of parties can form the government as none were able to win a majority of seats at the 15th general election, many have started to speculate that there would be a Harapan-BN pact to form a government without the Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Referring to Harapan and PN as Umno’s political enemies who were not sparing in their political attacks on the party members, Armand said in a statement that both coalitions were now in need of BN to form a unity government.

“Now that neither Harapan nor PN was able to win the majority seats to form a government, it doesn’t mean that they can ask BN to join them.

“But they fought us when we talked about the importance of stability and prosperity.

“I think we should chill and remain as opposition while they (Harapan and PN) fight to get a majority and the Yang d-Pertuan Agong can appoint a caretaker government,” he voiced.

Chiming in to remain as the government’s check and balance was BN Wanita chief Dr Noraini Ahmad who said in a statement that the coalition should remain a neutral bloc in government.

She explained that it would allow it to support or reject motions by the government on a case-to-case basis.

This she said would help restore the people’s support of BN over the coming years.

Unity government

However, fellow Umno supreme council member Jalaluddin Alias said BN should form a unity government but without Harapan.

Jalaluddin was throwing his support behind PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin to become the country’s next prime minister because the coalition had won the second-highest number of parliamentary seats after Harapan.

“The issue should be a collective responsibility for Dewan Rakyat members from BN, PN, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang), GPS, GRS, independents and others,” he said.

Reasoning that Harapan had demonstrated poor administration during the 22 months it was in power, Jalaluddin said he gave importance to the country’s stability and prosperity which made the PN coalition the right partner.

“The well-being of the people and the prosperity of the country must be continued with the leadership of a government that is stable and experienced,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Umno Youth chief Azlan Abu Bakar is of the opposite view and suggests that reforming the party should start with working together with Harapan.

His suggestion for the betterment of the country and to form a stable government should not involve a partnership with PN as it would likely be a repeat of what has happened over the past few years.

"And since Harapan has managed to win the highest number of seats, it means that people prefer Harapan administration rather than a PN coalition government,” he was quoted in the MalayMail.

He said that it is time for the party to trust the people’s mandate and put aside personal egos to form the federal government.

Harapan won 82 seats while PN and BN won 73 seats and 30 seats respectively.

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