Umno quitting unity govt could destabilise nation, warns Tok Mat

The Umno deputy president urges party members to support its role in the unity government with a constructive outlook, well-founded ideas, and measured criticism.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said history has shown that when political differences are allowed to fester unchecked, governments inevitably collapse.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan tonight warned that withdrawing from the unity government could risk plunging the country into instability.

Opening the general assembly of the Wanita, Youth, and Puteri wings, he called on all Umno members to support the party’s role in the unity government with a constructive outlook, well-founded ideas, and measured criticism.

“Should we quit the government tomorrow and let the country descend into chaos? No. That is the path of those who submit to emotion,” he said.

“That is not the work of statesmen. As the elders say, ‘Think hard and act wisely’.”

Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, said history teaches that when political differences are allowed to fester unchecked, governments inevitably collapse.

“And when a government collapses without a clear succession plan, what emerges is not freedom, but a power vacuum. The economy plunges, investors flee, and in the end, it is the people who suffer the most,” he said.

He warned that extreme forces would emerge when politics become a platform for vengeance, and that foreign interference would follow when leadership is fractured.

“This is what happens when anger overtakes wisdom, and when power is brought down without the responsibility to rebuild,” he said.

Mohamad said that Umno needs what he called a “creative disruption” – drastic new ideas or innovations designed to drive significant change.

He also stressed that repeatedly shifting political alliances is not the path to Umno’s recovery.

“It does not solve our problems or heal our wounds – it is merely a short-term manoeuvre and a distraction from what truly matters.”

His remarks come amid renewed debate within Umno over its continued participation in the unity government.

At a special convention on Jan 3, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh had called for the party to withdraw its support for the unity government and join the opposition, citing repeated violations of “red lines” involving 3R (race, religion and royalty) matters.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, said the party would remain loyal to the unity government until the next general election.

In his speech, Mohamad also reminded partners in the unity government that sitting in the same Cabinet does not mean Umno has lost its bite.

He said Umno supports political stability, but not at the expense of what it sees as the country’s core foundation.

“We are prepared to cooperate for the sake of the people and the nation, but if meddling hands begin to touch our religion, our race, and our rulers, we will knock those hands away with all the strength we have,” he said.

He said Umno’s ideological stance will not change while governments and alliances will. - FMT