Remember how we lost, Hishammuddin warns Umno top leaders

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has warned the Umno leadership against acting emotionally ahead of a meeting tonight to decide on a proposal to quit the Perikatan Nasional bloc.

The Sembrong MP said Umno leaders should heed the lessons of the 2018 general action where it lost 54 seats to Pakatan Harapan, ejecting it from the federal government for the first time in six decades.

“Furthermore, we are still at war with Covid-19. Daily cases remain high. The country is also faced with floods. The economy is going through recovery. The number of those affected keeps rising.

“Umno has been given an opportunity to show the people that our leaders are attentive, and are working hard to manage the crisis while emphasising the people’s interest,” he said in a statement today.

The Umno Supreme Council will meet tonight on a proposal by its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several leaders aligned with him to quit the ruling bloc, saying the party had been sidelined by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu in the government.

Hishammuddin is among the 39 MPs remaining in Umno.

He said several Umno ministers are already holding important posts in the war against Covid-19, such as the defence, health as well as the science and technology ministries tasked with the vaccination programme.

He said he would abide by Umno’s decision if instructed to resign from his Cabinet post, but questioned what the party really wants.

“If the party decides not to continue its cooperation with Bersatu, then it should decide with whom Umno will work in the 15th general election. Is it with DAP? Is it with PKR? Or to go it alone?” asked Hishammuddin.

“Umno’s political cooperation should be carefully planned because the election is not tomorrow,” he said.

“To those in the Supreme Council who are meeting tonight, make it clear to party members and the people what Umno really wants.”