Stop trying to divide party, Puad tells ‘desperados’ in Umno

 

Puad Zarkashi said the Umno Supreme Council no longer discussed working with PAS. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

An Umno leader has urged 

desperados

 within the party to abide by the top leadership’s decision to work with Pakatan Harapan in the unity government and not cause a split in the party.

Following a claim of informal talks between PAS and Umno leaders on teaming up for the next general election, Puad Zarkashi said he believed these meetings did not involve top Umno leaders and were merely 

meaningless coffee shop talk

.

“They could be Umno leaders who have been suspended or sacked, or who wish to return to the ‘mainstream’ Umno. Either way, they aren’t representatives of the party.

My advice to this group of desperados in Umno is this: stop trying to divide Umno,

 the Umno Supreme Council member told FMT.

Puad said the Umno Supreme Council no longer discussed working with PAS, and that its focus was wholly on bolstering its partnership with parties in the unity government.

Everyone needs to follow the party line. If we continue with our old ways, Umno will lose focus in facing GE16,

 he said.

Earlier, PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari claimed that Umno and PAS leaders met informally on several occasions to discuss an alliance for GE16, and that this involved the top leadership of both parties.

The Pasir Mas MP claimed that many leaders in Umno realised the Malays’ rejection of the Barisan Nasional-PH alliance and were now afraid that it would lose the next election.

Fadhli added however that the idea of an alliance between PAS and Umno was only talk at this point.

While BN, Umno’s umbrella coalition, has yet to decide on an alliance for GE16, its chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has repeatedly said it will continue its present cooperation with PH at the next general election.

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan meanwhile has said that BN could go solo once Umno has regained its strength.

Zahid has also said that Umno will not work with PAS as long as Abdul Hadi Awang remains the president of the Islamic party. - FMT