Tok Mat: Umno will pay dearly in GE15 if it collaborates with Dr M

PETALING JAYA: A government that is formed without the blessing of voters will be killed off in the next general election, warns Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic).

The Rantau state assemblyman said that it was against Umno's stand to form a political collaboration for a new government with any other party in the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition as this goes against the concept of democracy.

"The meeting which was referred to by (Umno supreme council member) Datuk Lokman Adam where party president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was alleged to have said that Umno must work with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was just a meeting of a small Umno committee on national collaboration.

"It is not the Umno supreme council meeting and even if someone said it, it is not the party's stand.

"If we ever take up the offer – or if Dr Mahathir ever offers it – it will not be democratic.

"There is no such thing as a 'back door government' in the first place. A government can only be formed using the front door," said Mohamad in an interview with The Star on Thursday (Feb 6.)

On Feb 3, Lokman revealed an audio recording of the Umno committee on national collaboration meeting, where Zahid allegedly said that Umno must work with Dr Mahathir for the sake of Malay interests.

Mohamad added that while anything is possible in politics, the people would not be questioning the end result but the process how it was achieved.

"Forming a government through such means – no one will be the winner and everyone loses.

"The people who voted for us in the last election may not trust us anymore, and the people who voted for Pakatan would also turn against them," said Mohamad.

He said that he believed the reason such an idea was being brought to the fore was the due to the possible shortcomings of the current administration.

"The ruling coalition has been politicking among themselves when they should be governing. They should behave like a government and if they cannot work together, then they should part.

"There is also no such thing as permanent friends or enemies in politics. Pakatan should either govern or decide to dismantle their coalition and let the people decide," said Mohamad.