‘IF SOMETHING LOOKS TOO GOOD, THEN IT MIGHT BE THE TOTAL OPPOSITE’ – MAT HASAN HITS BULLSEYE ON ‘SAY ONE THING, DO ANOTHER’ MAHATHIR: WILL PACT WITH BERSATU BE GOOD FOR UMNO & MALAYS IN THE LONG RUN – OR WILL IT JUST HELP ZAHID, HADI & CO TO ESCAPE JAIL WHILE MAHATHIR GETS TO STAY PM ‘FOREVER’?

UMNO must be cautious and not easily swayed by any offer to forge a political alliance with Bersatu warned Mohamad Hasan, after party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pitched the idea at a recent meeting.

The Umno deputy president said the party should consider if such co-operation would be beneficial to it and the Malays in the long term.

“All of this needs to be fine-tuned. Don’t be fooled. Be wise deciding on it,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Mohamad, known as Mat Hasan or Tok Mat as he is called by the party faithful, said that if something looked too good, then it might be the total opposite, and that is why Umno should be cautious.

Zahid suggested the party co-operate with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Bersatu for the sake of Umno’s own survival and future.

The proposal was announced by Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam two days ago.

According to Lokman, Zahid gave several reasons why Umno should co-operate, partly because PAS had already done so and Umno could not be left behind.

The matter is on the agenda for the Umno Supreme Council meeting on Friday.

However, Mohamad also reminded Umno of the need for the party to work with Dr Mahathir and Bersatu.

“Is the purpose of the proposal sincere and strategic to the interests of the nation, religion and party? Will it benefit the party and the Malays in the long run?” he asked in the post.

Mohamad said the proposal should be discussed at all levels within the party.

“Discuss in depth, honestly, so we don’t get caught up in the political game of certain parties.

“So that Umno does not split because we are too quick to accept a proposal that is still vague and loaded with question marks, “he said.

Mohamad also warned Umno about being too happy to co-operate with Bersatu to the point it would forget what the party was fighting for.

“In politics, we must be clear in our purpose, aspiration and action. Most importantly, in politics we must never forget what is our ‘struggle’.

“Consider the issue carefully,” he said.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT