Umno can't pressure for more posts as it isn't dominant in PN, says Zahid

Umno president Zahid Hamidi said his party is not in a position to demand the most government appointments as it is not in a dominant position in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

He conceded that there were some in the party who still possessed the mentality that Umno was still dominant like in the previous BN government.

"There are some so-called eminent persons (in Umno)... the main players think that the party should be given many important ministerial positions.

"As party president, I also feel the same but the reality is that we are not a dominant party leading the government. We have to accept that reality.

"There is a mentality that we are leading the government like in the previous BN government but we are only one part of PN even though we, along with our Muafakat Nasional (PAS) partner, contribute a significant number of seats.

"So don't blame the people who make the decision or pressure leaders to pursue what we should get," he said in an interview aired on Facebook in conjunction with Umno's 74th anniversary.

Zahid said he rose to the position of Umno president at a time of crisis when the party lost power for the first time in 61 years.

The Bagan Datuk MP likened the challenges he faced to being hit by a "barrage of spears".

"Many people did not understand how difficult the situation was," he said.

However, Zahid said he managed to cope with the crisis due to his personal experience of going through similar tough times when he was detained without trial under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1998.

He said even though the Pakatan Harapan government only lasted for less than two years, it was a trying time for Umno as efforts were made to unravel the party.

"There were those trying to break Umno from outside and from within," he said.

He added that while Umno is now part of the PN government which replaced Harapan, it could still be tested.

"We have only been with the new government for two months. We will continue to be tested and attacked from outside if we are not united from within," he said.

The Harapan government collapsed in late February after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took his party out of the coalition and joined forces with a group of PKR defectors led by former PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

Together with Umno, PAS, GPS and other minor parties, they formed the new PN federal government. - Mkini