Johor Umno Youth and the party's Veterans Club today rallied behind caretaker menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi after Pakatan Harapan leaders launched scathing attacks over his anti-DAP stance.
This was regarding Onn's pledge that Johor BN would not form a state government with DAP and that he would rather not hold office than sit at the same table as the party.
Johor Umno Youth chief Noor Azleen Ambros said there was nothing racist about the caretaker menteri besar's remarks, adding that Onn’s (above) position was based on differences in political ideology.
"The differences between Umno and DAP are clear and fundamental. One of the most glaring differences is that DAP has continued to hold onto its Malaysian Malaysia concept, which is stated in the party's constitution.
"This is an ideology and concept that is not aligned with the framework of our Federal Constitution, something which Umno and BN have always defended," he said in a statement.
Azleen also panned DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke for comparing the situation to a federal cabinet meeting in which Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would sit at the same table with him.
He accused Loke of confusing Zahid's role as a deputy prime minister and Umno's position as a political party.
"In exercising his duties and responsibility to the country, a leader cannot choose who he has to sit with.
"But when it comes to political cooperation, every party has the right to decide who they want to work with based on their respective political ideologies and principles," Azleen added.
'Umno only rejects DAP'
In a separate statement, Umno Veterans Club secretary Mustapha Yaakub refuted the notion that Umno declines to work with other races in elections.
He pointed out that Umno has been cooperating with other parties since its early days, including those that champion the interests of other races like MCA and MIC.
"Umno does not reject other races which are represented by parties in Perikatan Nasional and BN. Umno is only against DAP.
"Umno has tried to work with DAP through its cooperation with Harapan in the unity government.
"However, it has become clear that there is no compatibility between the parties, which has led the country into chaos," Mustapha said.
Accusing DAP of being against the Malays, Islam, the Malay rulers and Bahasa Malaysia, he said the party has failed to respect the agreement reached between BN and Harapan to form a government.
Getting backlash
At BN's election machinery launch in Johor yesterday, Onn said he would rather forgo the menteri besar post than work alongside DAP.
The remarks received backlash from many Harapan leaders, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who dredged up past events to show how Umno had worked with DAP.
Anwar, without naming Onn, quipped that the latter had no issue sitting next to Johor DAP chief Teo Nie Ching, who is also the deputy communications minister.
Teo and DAP deputy chairperson Nga Kor Ming also brought up how DAP had assisted Umno in the Mahkota by-election in 2024.
During the Mahkota campaign, Onn had, among others, shared a stage with Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi and asked her to translate his speech into Mandarin for the local Chinese audience.
While BN had won the by-election, critics - including from BN - noted that less than 50 percent of Chinese voters in Mahkota cast their ballots.
Last night, an aide to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo also posted several photos of Onn meeting with the DAP chairperson in their government capacities during a meeting last October. - Mkini
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