Umno opens door to Malay unity but on its own terms: Mohamad Hasan

Umno opens door to Malay unity but on its own terms: Mohamad Hasan

KUALA LUMPUR — Umno is opening the door to Malay political unity ahead of the 16th General Election but it has no intention of walking through it as anyone’s junior partner.

Deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the party was prepared to work with any Malay-based political force that genuinely sought to strengthen Malay-Muslim interests, but insisted that any cooperation must respect Umno’s leadership, political independence and vision.

“Umno cannot depend on PH, PN, Pas or even DAP. The party must stand on its own feet and restore its own strength,” he said when opening simultaneously the assemblies of Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri Umno ahead of the party’s annual general assembly.

Mohamad said Umno’s political journey since losing federal power in 2018 had largely been one of survival.

“Umno has been in survival mode for the past eight years,” he said, adding that the party had explored various political arrangements to remain relevant and continue serving as a stabilising force in national politics.

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But he stressed that strategic cooperation could not become a substitute for rebuilding Umno itself, saying the party must regain its position as the central pillar of Malay politics.

His remarks come amid renewed speculation over political realignments following Barisan Nasional’s strong victories in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections, which have revived calls for greater Malay political cooperation ahead of GE16.

While reaffirming that Umno remained open to initiatives aimed at uniting the Malays, Mohamad outlined several conditions, including sincerity of purpose, alignment with Umno’s “Rumah Bangsa” vision and a flexible form of cooperation that would not tie the party down to another political alliance.

He said Umno had learnt from its experiences since 2018 and would not again allow its political fortunes to depend on the strength or goodwill of another party.

Any future cooperation, he stressed, must strengthen rather than diminish Umno’s position as the principal vehicle of Malay political aspirations.

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He said after eight years of losing Putrajaya, Umno is therefore pursuing a delicate balancing act namely, remaining open to Malay unity while rebuilding enough strength to ensure that it can negotiate from a position of confidence rather than dependence.