Umno Secretary-General says no decision yet on PH cooperation in elections despite government alliance.
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has yet to decide whether it will cooperate with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming elections, although the party will continue its cooperation within the Madani government.
According to Umno Secretary-General Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, this approach is to ensure political stability in the country and to make sure the people benefit from that stability.
“We have not made any decision on that matter. If you understand what the president has said, the most important thing is to strengthen the existing government to ensure stability is achieved and the prosperity of our people is safeguarded.
“If we look at economic indicators, investments and investor confidence, all show positive signs. What is the foundation of all this? The foundation is political stability.
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“Umno, as a party with long experience in governance, will certainly consider our responsibility to the people,” he said at a press conference after visiting media outlets in conjunction with the 2025 Umno General Assembly at the World Trade Centre here today.
Asyraf said that if Umno were to make political decisions without considering the interests of the people, the party would surely be punished for creating an uncomfortable and unstable situation.
“Political instability will affect the economy, investors will stay away, and ultimately the people will suffer. That is why I believe that if we look at the debates taking place now, Umno leaders are being very rational in this context; it is not driven by emotion.”
Meanwhile, Asyraf explained that Umno’s decision to postpone party elections was made to prioritise internal strengthening.
“So when we say after the election, that is what was decided by all delegates and members in the context of Umno. Our focus is the elections first, whether the Melaka and Johor state elections, which may take place this year, followed by the general election.
“If we become preoccupied with party elections, there will be all kinds of stories. At a time when Umno needs solid internal strength, I think, thank God, the decision made by Umno delegates at the General Assembly three years ago was a wise one.”
Yesterday, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that Umno elections would only be held after the 16th General Election (GE16).
