Umno MP says silence on new alliance minus DAP, Amanah only when Anwar is PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Talks touting a new political alliance that will exclude DAP and Amanah will continue until Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad passes the prime ministership to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan who made the assertion today said rumours of a new coalition that will comprise his party and other components of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) will go on, reiterating that his party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is open to forging ties with any party but DAP and Amanah.
“If powers are not transferred to Anwar by that time, I foresee that there will be efforts to bring up the new coalition,” the Pontian MP told reporters at Parliament.
But Ahmad also played down the likelihood of such an alliance, pointing out Umno’s national unity agreement with PAS in preparation for the 15th general election.
“If it is too hard for PH, then just dissolve Parliament in May next year,” he added.
Last Tuesday, the PH secretariat council issued a statement urging Umno’s Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to stop pushing for a new government without DAP and Amanah.
The council said it holds firm to Muafakat PH, which was collectively agreed to by PKR, Bersatu, Amanah and DAP, to remain a coalition with Parti Warisan Sabah lawmakers included in the federal Cabinet.
The statement was signed by its secretariate chief Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Amanah secretary Datuk Anuar Tahir, and DAP national secretary Anthony Loke.
Hishammuddin issued a call on July 8 asking the Malay-based parties in PH to merge into one party, Bersatu.
Saifuddin Nasution declined comment when asked about Hishammuddin’s remarks today, saying the PH secretariat’s statement is self-explanatory.
“As I said, on the statement it is self explanatory. We are simply maintaining the multiracial DNA of Malaysian politics,” he told reporters at Parliament.
He also said the public should read coverage of Hishammuddin’s remarks as published on October 14 by New Straits Times under the headline “First Step to Bangsa Malaysia,” which featured pictures of Bersatu, Umno, PAS and DAP flags.
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