MARAN, June 30 — Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to work with Pakatan Harapan in facing the 16th general election (GE16), said its chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
However, both BN and Pakatan will contest using their own symbols in the election.
“InsyaAllah in the upcoming GE, we will use the Barisan Nasional logo. This does not mean we are moving away from the Unity Government alliance. It means that Pakatan can contest using their logo and we will contest with our own, but in terms of cooperation, we will maintain it.
“As long as the constituencies we contest in are not contested by them and we do not contest in the areas they are contesting in,” he said during a press conference after officiating the Maran Umno division delegates’ meeting in Pekan Tajau today.
In his speech, Zahid said that since the party has been in the Unity Government with Pakatan Harapan, no Islamic agenda has been sidelined.
“I am responsible for steering Umno (and) I will ensure that the component parties in this Unity Government adhere to all matters enshrined in the Constitution, protecting issues related to Islam and Malay rights, neither more nor less, period. That is our confidence,” he said.
Commenting on the status of the People’s Progressive Party (MyPPP), which felt sidelined to the point of deciding not to campaign for the Unity Government in the Sungai Bakap state by-election, the Deputy Prime Minister said the party is still among the allied parties in Friends of BN.
“No, we welcome everybody. We welcome every party leader to participate and also to contribute their effort. Currently, there are 11 Friends of BN as allied parties within BN; we treat them all equally. They are still part of Friends of BN (they are not component parties within BN).
“There are only four component parties: Umno, MCA, MIC, and PBRS because the BN constitution stipulates that the decision to accept any party must be by consensus, 100 per cent… if any party disagrees, then we will not accept,” Zahid said.
MyPPP decided not to campaign in the Sungai Bakap by-election even though they had previously helped BN in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election in Selangor.
Its acting president Datuk Loga Bala Mohan said the decision was made for the dignity of the party after feeling sidelined despite their hard work in helping the Unity Government candidate win in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election held on May 11.
Polling for the Sungai Bakap by-election, which sees a straight fight between Pakatan and Perikatan Nasional, is on July 6.
— Bernama
