KUALA LUMPUR: Muafakat Nasional will open the door for Umno and Barisan Nasional to lead again, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president said the political pact between Umno and PAS is based on mutual philosophy.
He added that the Penyatuan Ummah on Sept 14,2019 that paved the way for the Muafakat Nasional charter was greeted with joy and tears by members of both parties because they were able to bury the hatchet.
"Muafakat Nasional carries a lot of weight due to its success in the last seven by-elections.
"It also a political dynamism, a political reset," he said in his policy speech at the Umno General Assembly 2020 on Sunday (March 28), citing the establishment of Barisan Nasional in 1974 as the first political reset following the tragedy of the 1969 riots.
"The two political resets are related to national stability and people's security.
"Is it not possible for Umno and its political partner (PAS) to start a political reset which will augur well for Malaysia?" he asked.
"I can feel the people's desire to see a stable unity government for the nation," he said, adding that Umno is ever ready to introduce such a government after the coming general election.
"However, Umno must stay relevant and dominate domestic politics post-GE15. Be dominant first in order to stay relevant," he said.
"All of us must embrace this political reset with an open heart and pragmatic mindset. Go back to the drawing board, fortify Umno and make it relevant again," he said.
However, Ahmad Zahid said the political situation since the setting up of Muafakat Nasional had taken a sharp turn.
"Let me assert that we supported the formation of the government known as Perikatan Nasional.
"However, some parties also established a political coalition named Perikatan Nasional later on, without even consulting us.
"So where does Umno stand?
"We agreed that any party in Muafakat Nasional should not be too hasty in joining any political pact.
"Umno is firm on this, and we will not allow ourselves to be swayed easily," he said, adding that the party's cooperation with PAS was still taking shape.
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