KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 – UMNO is willing to engage in political cooperation or tahaluf siyasi with any parties which also including PAS that to strengthen the Muslim community, said UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at PWTC here on Thursday.
In his reaction to UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s offer of olive branch (tali silaturahim) to PAS, Ahmad Zahid said the agenda on togetherness among Islamic bodies, including political parties, should be towards strengthening Islam without setting aside the interests of other religions.
“For cooperation between UMNO and PAS to work, there should be commitment from both parties because “one cannot clap with only one hand. Hopefully, it materialises for the interests of the ummah,” Ahmad Zahid, who is Deputy Prime Minister told a media conference after the opening of the 2015 UMNO general assembly here Thursday.
Najib, who is also Prime Minister, in his speech when opening the assembly, offered to foster close ties with PAS to together build the nation in accordance with real Islamic doctrine since PAS was no longer with the opposition pact after being “kicked out” by its opposition allies.
On Najib’s policy speech at the opening of the assembly, Ahmad Zahid said it had provided better understanding on current issues among delegates. However, he said, continuous explanation should be carried to also get the general public to understand the matter.
The responsibility should not be left to the president alone, but should also be carried out by UMNO leaders at all levels, including state and division, he added. On a decision by the UMNO Supreme Council (MT) at its meeting last night that only the president would make the winding up speech, which is regarded as a breach of tradition, Ahmad Zahid said what was meant by ‘tradition’ was merely a convention and not stated in the party constitution.
