PETALING JAYA, Oct 9: With opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim scheduled to meet the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Tuesday, an Umno veteran has called for party unity in facing a general election.
Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said Anwar was free to do what he liked but “we must strengthen our party” to win the 15th general election. “That must be our agenda.”
He declined to comment on speculation that a number of Umno members were supporting Anwar.
Anwar told newsmen on Sept 23 he had a “strong, formidable and convincing majority” in Parliament to form a new government.
He did not reveal the number of MPs backing him, saying he would only do so after having an audience with the King.
Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi subsequently said MPs from Umno were supporting Anwar.
Tajuddin said Umno could win only if members were united and worked together on winning strategies.
He said it was time to stop “blaming one another” for the shortfalls that caused the party to lose in the 2018 general election.
Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan brushed off Anwar’s claims of having the numbers, saying: “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
He said he did not want to “waste time commenting on a claim that may not be true”.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan refused to place any importance on the audience, saying anyone was free to meet the King at the King’s pleasure.
But Kapar MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid of PKR said Anwar had “solid numbers to form the government”.
He told the current government to respect the constitutional requirement that the Putrajaya administration must be run by the political party or coalition with the most seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar has said he would provide more details regarding the support for him after the royal audience.
He also said: “The time for the Muhyiddin Yassin-led government has come to an end.”
