All Umno MPs, reps will continue to defend Anwar - Asyraf

Umno will continue to strengthen and defend the coalition government, the party's secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said.

"The supreme council also attests that all (Umno) MPs and assemblypersons will support the party's stance to support the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister, and the leader of the coalition government," Asyraf said in a statement last night.

Meanwhile, Asyraf (above) said that Umno will hold a coalition government convention in all states, from January onwards.

Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil had recently suggested the party cooperate with PAS again for the next general election.

He said this following PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar's landslide victory in the recently concluded Kemaman by-election, which certain quarters said puts him on a path to possible prime ministership.

Isham's idea has been rubbished by his party colleagues, including fellow supreme council member Puad Zarkashi, who urged all quarters in the party to look ahead instead of contemplating a reunion with PAS.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also weighed in on the matter, saying the party is still not prepared to cooperate with the Islamist party again.

This was after PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s statement about rekindling their past relationship.

Tuan Ibrahim said any such step must be done through the Perikatan Nasional platform, which also includes Bersatu.

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