Zahid: Current political scenario demands this union

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has rejected claims that the Barisan Nasional component party’s cooperation with Pas amounted to a racially segmented union.

This is despite attendees at the Muslim Unity Gathering (Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah) yesterday pledging support for the unification of the Malay-Muslim community being mainly Malays.

In defending the union between the two Malay-Muslim parties, Zahid said it should be looked at positively.

This was because both parties had no intention of separating or dividing one race from another, he said.

The former deputy prime minister said the political cooperation would not be based solely on political will and demand.

Instead, Zahid said, it would be based on a national-level partnership that would see the involvement of all races.

“This union will not damage the spirit of our country and the institution of the Malay rulers, as enshrined in the Constitution.

“Our once peaceful country is in turmoil. The people are suffering. The country is unstable.

“Everything we’ve built all these years has been destroyed within a short time.

“The current political scenario demands such a union because our harmony and Constitution are being threatened.

“Because of that, as fighters and proponents of this unification, we cannot let this disorder be prolonged.”

The Bagan Datuk member of parliament said this at the gathering held at the Putra World Trade Centre here yesterday.

Umno and Pas signed a political cooperation charter yesterday, marking the first time the nation’s two largest Malay-based parties, which were political rivals for some six decades, are collaborating politically.

Both parties began exploring the possibility of a political cooperation following Barisan Nasional’s disastrous performance in the 14th General Election.

In a joint statement released on July 25, Umno and Pas secretaries general Tan Sri Annuar Musa and Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, respectively, had said both parties reached a consensus for ta’awun (cooperation for the benefit of Islam) to face political challenges in the country.

Umno and BN have 40 lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat, while Pas has 18.

Zahid said former Pas spiritual leader, the late Datuk Dr Haron Din, had urged him in the past to unite Umno and Pas.

“In 1998, Haron, who was the then Pas information chief, told me to one day unite Umno and Pas and share the same struggle.”

This came as a surprise to many because 1998 was the year Pas formed an alliance with PKR to create an opposition coalition to fight against the Umno-led BN.

Zahid warned Umno and Pas members to be vigilant against efforts to destroy the political union, claiming that detractors were fearful of the cooperation.

“Umno and Pas should not get involved in the narrow racial political sentiment and extremism as it goes against Islam.”