Ahmad Zahid…says the best approach is to maintain the unity government set up at the federal level while extending it to Sabah.
PETALING JAYA: Umno has agreed in principle to tie up with Pakatan Harapan (PH) for the Sabah state election, says party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said Umno and BN also welcome any other party that wishes to collaborate with them.
“The decision to forge ties with PH was made by Sabah Umno and the party’s central leadership.
The best approach is to maintain the unity government set up at the federal level while extending it to Sabah, he told Malaysian journalists at the end of his visit to China Thursday.
On Monday, Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin announced plans to hold discussions with Sabah BN to consider cooperating with PH for the state election.
Zahid today also expressed hope that no local party will label Umno as a Malayan party or
national party, suggesting that they don’t belong in Sabah.
We are a democratic country, and there are no ‘local’ or ‘peninsula’ parties. Therefore, no such offending statements should be made, even by those who aspire to become the next chief minister, he said.
When asked whether the approach taken for the Sabah state election could serve as a model for BN’s cooperation in the 16th general election (GE16), Zahid said the focus for now is solely on the Sabah election.
“We are first addressing the challenges of the Sabah election, and if this ‘template’ proves successful, we will certainly consider applying it in GE16.
“But the compatibility between BN and PH has already proven effective, with strong support from our partners in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and other parties, including independent MPs.
The most important thing for now is to maintain political stability in Malaysia, he added.
