KUALA LUMPUR: Standing firm with the “No Anwar, No DAP” stance, a group of division leaders said that any decision to work with Pakatan Harapan runs counter to the decision made at last year’s Umno general assembly.
Ketereh Umno chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa questioned how Umno would face its supporters for changing its tune.
“’I believe (the situation in) Umno will become worse as the current leader has dragged Umno into going against the decision (of the general assembly),” he told reporters yesterday, accompanied by several other leaders and supporters.
“Our members who have been defending us will now run away from us.”
Asked how many Umno division chiefs were together with him on this matter, Annuar said: “It would take a few days to count.”
Describing Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a liability to the party, Annuar said he should step down as Umno president following the party’s poor showing in the general election.
He also said he was confident that the party would emerge stronger in the next general election.
On a potential candidate for the Umno presidency, he said it was best to wait for nominations to open.
“I also have the ambition to become the president,” he quipped, naming two other leaders who might also be eyeing the post.
“(Then there is) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who is the most deserving candidate to be the president.”
Batu Umno chief Datuk Yahya Mat Ghani, who was also at the press conference, said division chiefs must be consulted first if the leadership decides to work with Pakatan as Umno MPs made up the bulk of Barisan Nasional seats.
If any decision is to be made on working with Pakatan, he said an Umno general assembly must be first held on this, since the previous assembly had already made its stand on the matter.
Yahya also said Umno was ready to be in the Opposition bloc.
