In veiled message, Zahid hints at imminent PN break-up

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi predicts that a political coalition claiming to champion Malays will soon undergo a breakup.

In a thinly veiled reference believed to be aimed at Perikatan Nasional, he alluded to internal divisions within a component party of an opposition coalition.

The deputy prime minister said Umno itself had once cooperated with that party in an effort to unify the ummah (Muslim community).

“Although we wanted to foster unity among the ummah, and we have tried in the name of a charter and Muafakat Nasional but that party - no matter who they collaborate with - the party will be kicked out including us.

“I am convinced there is disquiet even now in the coalition that the party has joined. I think the coalition will break up soon.

“Their political allies will also get kicked out, just as they have removed us,” he said in a speech in a surau at Umno’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, in conjunction with the party’s 77th-anniversary celebration.

In 2019, Umno and PAS signed the Muafakat Nasional charter in a move towards a formal political alliance.

In the following year, however, PAS joined PN in a move that led to Muafakat Nasional’s disintegration.

When asked to elaborate on his speech, Zahid told reporters after today’s celebration that the relationship between PN component parties is akin to a political contract marriage (kahwin mutaah).

“We hear that political contract marriages are certainly temporary in nature. Let’s wait until the cracks turn into division,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Zahid emphasised that strengthening Malays and Islam remains at the core of Umno’s struggles despite the party’s new alliances within the unity government.

“If we are now a part of the government, even if our contribution is small, if we look at the harm, which is greater? Which is smaller, if we are now on the same side with our allies in the unity government?

“Of course, we see the harm that we have experienced (collaborating) together with those who supposedly champion the Malays, and supposedly champion Islam but still claim Islam is being threatened.

“Even though we are in the government now, we have never abandoned the struggle to elevate Islam based on our grassroots, our backbone as Malays.

“So we will continue to strengthen our struggle without forgetting Malaysia’s diversity,” he said.

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