KUALA LUMPUR: Umno remains committed to practising moderate politics but will not hesitate to end cooperation if it feels that Islam and the Malay agenda are compromised, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In his policy address at the opening of Umno’s annual general assembly, the party president emphasised the importance of Umno leading efforts to restore public trust in moderate politics.
He noted that Barisan Nasional, of which Umno is a key member, had regularly championed moderation, bridging the gap between left and right-wing parties.
“This unification has guaranteed that Islam and the rights of Malays are protected without sidelining the rights and voices of other races.
This balance is essential for Malaysia’s peace, stability and harmony,” he said.
He reiterated Umno’s commitment to maintaining moderate politics as central to its agenda.
“It is our goal to ensure moderate politics remains at the core. I call on Malays to embrace political moderation and not be influenced by those who claim their struggles are for the Malays and the religion,” he added.
Acknowledging current doubts about Umno’s role within the unity government, he pointed out that some parties continued to question the party’s stance on Malay and Islamic issues.
“There are attempts to stir up animosity against Umno by suggesting that the position of Malays and Islam is under threat. They sow seeds of hatred against Umno.“The fact is we have never changed our principles on these issues just so that we can be part of this government,” he explained.
Vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin echoed this sentiment, stating that Umno was open to working with other parties as long as they adhered to principles of moderation.
“We are willing to explore new political alignments as long as other parties respect Umno and accept our core principles,” he said.
Fellow vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said Umno needed to adapt to the evolving political landscape.
“We need to be prepared to adjust our strategies to collaborate with other parties given the new political dynamics,” he said.
Supreme council member Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said while Umno and Barisan would still practise political moderation, they also needed to build a new idealism aligned with the present political climate.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Umno’s approach to moderation had historically been successful and served as a valuable lesson for the current unity government, adding: “Umno is a pioneer of moderation and understands the attributes of genuine power-sharing.”
