BN-PN joining hands: Ahmad Zahid went against MT decision - Source

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had used his ‘veto power’ as UMNO president to prevent Barisan Nasional (BN) from joining the Perikatan Nasional (PN) even though the majority of Supreme Council (MT) members decided otherwise.

According to an UMNO MT source present at the meeting in Janda Baik, Pahang on Friday night, Ahmad Zahid had 'violated' the majority decision to apply the Sabah State Election (PRN) formula in the 15th General Election (GE15).

"MT members agreed to join PN in the name of BN, meaning we will do as we did during the Sabah PRN.

"BN and PN will be in the same coalition to face GE15, so there will be no three-cornered contests later," the source said on Sunday.

In the last Sabah PRN, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) made up of PN and BN together with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secured a total of 38 seats and WARISAN PLUS won 32 seats, while three Independent candidates took the Kuamut, Kemabong and Pitas state constituencies.

The MT meeting on Friday, which was described as important in shaping the direction of the Malay party towards GE15, was also understood to touch on an agreement to appoint a deputy prime minister (DPM) from UMNO in an effort to strengthen the party.

However, after deliberating for more than three hours at the Institut Latihan Memperkasakan Ummah (ILMU) in Janda Baik, no statement was made by any MT member.

Meanwhile, the source informed that Ahmad Zahid had used his veto power when discussing the issue of the offer of the DPM post from UMNO in PN.

"He (Ahmad Zahid) used the president's veto power to prevent the party from accepting the post despite being agreed by some MT members present.

"MT has agreed to accept the post but unfortunately the president rejected all the proposals from MT members," the source explained.

In December 2018, Ahmad Zahid agreed to 'take a break' and handed over the duties of UMNO president to his deputy, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Research fellow from the Institute of Political Studies Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM MAPAN), Dr Achmad Dzariean Mohd Nadzri, had previously stressed that the trust of UMNO members in Ahmad Zahid will fade if it is true that the party president had written a letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the new prime minister.

He said, it will at once have a big impact and a bad signal to the party itself.

President of the Council of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak), Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman, had said Umno should give priority to the political survival of the Malay Muslims.

He said, UMNO is feared to collapse and may not even be able to rise again in the event of three-cornered contests involving allies and the opposition in GE15.