Zahid confirms Umno, BN to contest all seats won in 2018
BAGAN DATUK: Umno and Barisan Nasional have decided to contest in all parliamentary and state seats won by the party and the coalition at the 14th general election in 2018, party and coalition leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
Zahid said the Umno Supreme Council has also decided that all Umno and BN candidates contesting in the next general election would contest on the BN ticket.
He said the Supreme Council had decided that all parliamentary and state Umno and BN seats won in GE14 should be taken back by them. “These are Umno seats, Umno is claiming them back,” he said when opening the annual meeting of the local Umno division.
“We will not be using the symbol of other parties. It is up to the other parties to use their own symbols or the symbol of their new friends but Umno and BN will remain as their opponent,” he said.
Zahid said 16 MPs from Umno had left the party after the 2018 elections, resulting in the party holding only 38 seats in the Dewan Rakyat. Another seat is now vacant following the death of Gerik MP Hasbullah Osman in November.
He reminded party members that Umno and BN were not members of the Perikatan Nasional coalition but only provided parliamentary support through its MPs.
“The move to sign a PN government charter in May was only as an indication of support for the PN government, not support for the registration of PN. In fact, there was no new charter signed, and it is not as viralled that I as Umno president and BN chairman had signed the new charter,” he said.
He said a PN Presidential Council was created to ensure a check and balance on PN government policies.
Zahid reminded Umno members to keep in line with the party leadership when they made political statements. “Echo the voice of the head who is steadfast in looking after Umno,” he said.
