Umno to continue working with PAS for Melaka polls

Umno has decided to continue its cooperation with PAS for the Melaka state election on Nov 20.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said the stand was in line with the resolutions of the party’s general assembly last year, including to strengthen Muafakat Nasional (MN) which was formed by the two parties.

“The basis of the cooperation with PAS was guided by the principle that PAS would use its own party symbol in line with the spirit and resolution of the MN main committee in a meeting on Oct 19, 2020.

“It is also to avoid clashes between the two parties and at the same time maintain the use of the respective party’s symbol in elections,” he told reporters after an Umno Supreme Council meeting chaired by president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Kuala Lumpur last night.

He said the meeting also agreed to appoint Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan as Melaka state election director apart from giving mandate to Zahid and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to finalise any decision relating to the state election.

He said the meeting did not finalise the names of candidates and division of seats for the Melaka state election.

On the issue of the compound on Barisan Nasional (BN) for violating the SOPs of Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan by holding the launch of the Melaka state election machinery at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Ahmad said the party would be appealing to the health ministry for the compound to be reduced.

“Our understanding is that when the health ministry issued the new statement on new SOPs, it referred to campaign activities in Melaka. We did not deliberately breach the stipulated SOPs and that is why the launch of the machinery was not held at one hall… because we wanted to comply with SOPs, we held it in two halls,” he said.

He said Umno hoped the Election Commission and the National Security Council would allow political parties to campaign from house to house with limited participants for the Melaka state election.

“We hope they will allow the setting up of operation rooms with the presence of limited individuals as they are assisting the machinery to disseminate announcements.

“Such a move does not mean Umno and BN are not sensitive to the health of the people,” he said.