Umno keeping options open, may even work with archrival DAP, says Annuar Musa

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno must keep its options on cooperation open, even if it means working together with its archrival party DAP, says Tan Sri Annuar Musa (pic).

“If Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad can cooperate with DAP, if PAS can cooperate with DAP, who knows, maybe one day Umno can also cooperate with DAP.   

“Don’t keep yourself in a cocoon. The most important thing here is how we can serve the people best,” he said. 

The Umno secretary-general was commenting on MCA’s proposal to dissolve Barisan Nasional.

He said the dissolution is just a suggestion and that there are many options to reinvent Barisan.

"Barisan is reinventing itself. So far, there are no rumours of the coalition dissolving, as we have to consult other component parties. 

“The future of Barisan is not determined by MCA only,” he said to reporters when met at Parliament lobby on Monday (Dec 3). 

However, Annuar said the dissolution of Barisan is not an urgent matter, as the 15th general election is still far away. 

Meanwhile, MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said MCA should ensure that it has a better political ideology than Barisan before making such a proposal. 

“You must have something (ideology) better before dissolving the existing one,” he said, adding that the party leadership should be allowed to discuss the proposal.

In MCA’s 65th annual general meeting on Sunday (Dec 2), party president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said that the party’s central committee was authorised to pave the way for the dissolution of Barisan. 

Together with Ummo and MIC, MCA formed the Alliance party and fought for the country’s independence in 1957.

In 1973, the Alliance was renamed Barisan Nasional with other parties joining in the coalition too.

The coalition, which ruled the country since independence, lost power to Pakatan Harapan in the 14th general election on May 9.