PETALING JAYA,Mar 4: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter to the prime minister on the party’s stance with PPBM is a “premature” move, said former Barisan Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa today.
In a Facebook post, Annuar said the party’s decision not to cooperate with PPBM in the next general election was equivalent to shooting itself in the foot.
“Those who will have to bear the consequences are the grassroots,” he said.
Zahid’s letter, which came after an Umno Supreme Council meeting at Janda Baik, Pahang, is understood to have declared that Umno would not cooperate with PPBM in the 15th general elections and that the party would only work with the government until Parliament was dissolved.
Annuar said there was no need to “secretly” send any letters, as Umno’s cooperation with PPBM had never been formalised.
The federal territories minister also said the party’s policies and those leading the party for GE15 depended on the results of the coming Umno elections later this month.
“It has put the party in a disadvantaged position. Many things can happen between now and the time Parliament is dissolved,” he said.
This morning, PPBM confirmed that Zahid had sent a letter to Muhyiddin Yassin on Umno’s stance with PPBM.
PPBM secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the party’s Supreme Council would decide on its stance with its Perikatan Nasional allies later today.
Previously, the majority of the 191 Umno divisions had called for the party to withdraw its cooperation with PPBM.
The Umno Supreme Council had said it would finalise its decision on the party’s cooperation with PPBM at its AGM, set for March 27 and 28.
