Saifuddin lauds Umno's 'politically mature' decision to remain in govt

Pakatan Harapan has lauded Umno's decision to stay in the Madani government, with the coalition secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail praising the party for showing a "high level of political maturity".

Speaking to the press, the home minister said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's announcement last night helps maintain the country's political stability and unity.

"In the context of the unity government and as the secretary-general of Harapan, I trust the wisdom of Umno leadership on how to position their party.

"I believe that in the coming three years, Umno will remain as the largest Malay-based party in this government. And today, with their 30 (MPs) in BN, Umno holds eight minister posts. So, if we look from this perspective, Umno is playing a very important role in the unity government.

"Hence, the government is compact, intact, united and functioning," he said today after attending a National Registration Department event in Sungai Buaya, Selangor.

Last night, Zahid, after chairing a Umno political bureau meeting, affirmed the party's position in the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Harapan chairperson.

This comes despite pressure from several Umno leaders for the party to pull out its support for the administration and cooperate with PAS instead.

‘Solve your own issues first’

Asked to comment on PAS' attempt to woo Umno, Saifuddin gave a sarcastic response.

"I do not want to be dragged into PAS political 'gelanggang' (battleground).

"I believe PAS can evaluate... Perhaps, they should solve their issues in Perlis first and learn how the unity government solves its internal issues," he said, referring to the recent political turmoil between the Islamist party and its ally Bersatu in the state.

Commenting on Anwar's announcement to limit the prime minister’s tenure, Saifuddin said the decision sent a strong signal that the position of power is not something that should be in a leader's hands indefinitely.

"We have the principles of accountability and responsibility. The rakyat now has clarity that there is a limit of 10 years under this leadership."

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