Polling day: Ahmad Zahid casting his ballot for the Bagan Datuk Umno division elections held at Kompleks Umno Bagan Datuk. — Bernama
BAGAN DATUK: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hopes the outcome of elections at the party’s 189 divisions will serve as a step towards Umno’s revival.
The Umno president said it was necessary for the party to move together and work as a team in facing the upcoming six state elections due this year.
“My hope is the decision made by 189 divisions will serve as a step for Umno 2.0,” he said when met at the Bagan Datuk Umno division elections here yesterday, Bernama reported.
The party elections are being held from Feb 1 to March 18, with the branch-level elections held from Feb 1-26, and the elections for the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings at the national level were held on March 11.
The party divisional delegates’ meetings and committee elections, as well as contests for seats in the Umno supreme council, were held simultaneously nationwide yesterday.
Ahmad Zahid said he also hoped the supreme council members will be able to strengthen the party, adding that Umno needs to embrace digitalisation to gain the support of voters including new ones.
“My hope is that we choose the best candidates among the best so that we don’t make the wrong choice this time.
“Even though I celebrate the difference of views and opinions, we should not differ in our views when the party makes decisions, especially big decisions.
“Now we are in the unity government and we support the concept of Malaysia Madani. We are part of the government.”
He said the compatibility between Umno and the component parties of Barisan Nasional, together with the parties supporting the unity government, has begun to show “positive development” at the national, parliamentary and state constituency levels.
Touching on his daughter Datuk Nurulhidayah who failed to win the Bagan Datuk Umno Wanita chief post in the elections, Ahmad Zahid said the results proved there was no interference at any level.
Meanwhile, he said the acceptance of Barisan state assemblymen as part of the Selangor government demonstrated Pakatan Harapan adopted an open policy.
Ahmad Zahid said Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari’s statement on this matter was consistent with the formation of the unity government at the federal level.
“It is in line with our (Barisan) presence in the unity government, and this openness is most welcome as it will lead to a stronger government in Selangor.
“The formation of a Selangor government involving Barisan is a new reality,” he said.
In the Selangor state assembly on Friday, Amirudin said Barisan-Umno assemblymen were now part of the state government until its term ends in June.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said the Malaysian Unity Government Secretariat would hold its second meeting today.
The meeting with be chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“We will make several decisions on steps to face the six state elections and map out strategies for conducting political operations over the medium and long term for the general election,” he added.
