Umno backs unity govt plan, but not with PN at the head
The party has also reinforced support for Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to remain as BN chairman and unanimously backs him as Umno president.
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Umno supports the idea of being part of a unity government as proposed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, but one that is not led by Perikatan Nasional (PN), its secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said.
In a statement, he said this was decided in a special Umno Supreme Council meeting, chaired by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Kuala Lumpur last night.
He said the Supreme Council unanimously decided to support and uphold the proposal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for Barisan Nasional (BN) to consider participating in a unity government.
"… (this is) to ensure that a stable and prosperous government can be formed," he said in the statement issued after the three-hour meeting at the party headquarters in Menara Dato Onn.
However, that government must not be led by PN, he added.
Ahmad also said that the Supreme Council had agreed for all of its party representatives who won parliamentary seats in the 15th general election (GE15) to comply with and accept any form of unity government or any other form of government proposed by the king.
According to Ahmad, the Umno Supreme Council meeting also reinforced support for Zahid to remain as BN chairman and unanimously backed him as Umno president.
The council also took note of and reviewed in detail both discussions carried out by the BN negotiations committee with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PN, he said.
He added that the 2022 Umno general assembly would be held from Dec 21 to 24.
At GE15, BN won only 30 parliamentary seats, its worst ever performance, while PH captured 82 seats, followed by PN (73), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (23), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six), Warisan (three), and independents (two). Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat won one seat each.
The GE15 results meant that no one party or political bloc managed to win a majority, resulting in a hung parliament.
A special meeting of the Malay rulers will be held later today to discuss the formation of the new government.
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