Umno heavyweights meet as plan to work with Perak PH looks set to fail

Top Umno leaders are expected to reject any move to form a coalition government in Perak with Pakatan Harapan (PH), following a possible power vacuum left by the ouster of its menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu last week.

Members of the Umno Supreme Council, the party’s top decision-making body, are meeting tonight hours after a similar meeting by Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders on the way forward in Perak.

“Working with PH will be out of the question, even if the suggestion comes from the president,” said a source familiar with informal discussions ahead of tonight’s meeting.

The source said party heavyweights are adamant that Umno should stick to its principle of “No DAP, No Anwar”, referring to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

“The Perak government will remain under PN. Umno is with Bersatu and PAS,” the source added.

Yesterday, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who previously backed Anwar’s attempt to topple the PN government, said working with PH in Perak could be an option in the event that Umno fails to get support from PAS and Bersatu.

PAS and Bersatu have condemned Umno’s move against Faizal and have threatened to stay out of any attempt to form a new state government.

The Perak state assembly is dominated by Umno with 25 representatives.

If PAS and Bersatu with their eight seats refuse to continue their support, Umno will need five more from among PH assemblymen to form the state government.

DAP, with 16 seats, has the lion’s share in Perak PH, followed by Amanah (five) and PKR (three). The remaining two seats are held by Gerakan and an independent.

A source told MalaysiaNow that Umno could still seek support from the five Amanah assemblymen to stay in power.

“However, that would not amount to abiding by its ‘No DAP, No Anwar’ slogan as Amanah is seen as a party which toes the line taken by its big brothers in PH,” an Amanah insider in Perak said.