Staying in govt until end of term will hurt Umno, says party veteran

 Adam Abdul Hamid said party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi should push for an early general election.

Adam Abdul Hamid speaking at the Umno general assembly. A resolution by Umno veterans has also urged Umno to realign Malay-Muslim political forces.

KUALA LUMPUR:

An Umno veteran has urged party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to push for an early general election, warning that staying in the current government until the end of its term could severely hurt the party.

Speaking on behalf of Umno veterans at the party’s annual general assembly, Adam Abdul Hamid said Umno should press the prime minister to call for the general election at the earliest opportunity.

“If we continue with this government until the end of its term, Umno will suffer badly,” he said. Parliament’s term expires in December next year and elections must be held by mid-February 2028 at the latest.

Realign Malay-Muslim forces

On Umno’s relationship with Perikatan Nasional, particularly PAS, Adam called for careful negotiations but cautioned against focusing solely on the distribution of power and positions.

“If we only think about power, eventually we will fight. If we want to be prime minister, they will want to be prime minister. We want to retain our seats, they will want to retain theirs. And unity will not last,” he said.

Instead, he said the parties should identify areas where they could work together, including addressing economic issues affecting the Malay community.

Separately, a resolution presented by Umno veterans called for the party to lead efforts to realign Malay-Muslim political forces based on the Federal Constitution, the interests of the people and national stability.

It said prolonged political divisions would weaken the bargaining power of Malays and allow others to determine the country’s political agenda.

“This realignment is not politics of hatred against others, but a strategy to unite our strength without sacrificing justice and the prosperity of our plural society,” Adam said.

The veterans also expressed concern over what they described as political pressure from Pakatan Harapan against Umno and its leaders, and called on party members to remain united.

“We do not defend wrongdoing, but we must defend justice, a transparent legal process and a person’s right not to be punished through persecution,” Adam said.

He said attacks against Umno would intensify as the party grew stronger, making unity its most important line of defence. - FMT