PAU 2020: UMNO-Bersatu cannot 'sleep on same pillow' - Noraini

KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) ‘are having difficulty to sleep on the same pillow' because the parties have 'different dreams'.

The matter was acknowledged by UMNO Wanita Chief, Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, who stressed that her wing remained with the stand made by the Supreme Working Council (MKT).

She said, apart from not having cooperation with DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the wing also supported the decision to withdraw support for Bersatu in the 15th General Election (GE15).

"UMNO and Bersatu have a lot of clashes in terms of interests. That is why it is difficult for us to cooperate in the GE.

"Of course, these provide a variety of political implications to the Malays but UMNO is of the opinion that we have to go along with the decision made by the grassroots and party leadership.

"Umno must think about the continuity or survival of the party in order to maintain the agenda of the Malay Muslims in this country," she said at the UMNO Wanita Delegates Conference in conjunction with the 2020 UMNO General Assembly (PAU2020) here on Saturday.

Elaborating, Noraini said UMNO as a sacred Malay party has a great responsibility to realign the country's political path.

Although UMNO failed in the last general election, she said the party had used the space to rise again to be accepted by the people.

"UMNO lost but the Barisan Nasional (BN) components and Friends of BN remained loyal.

"UMNO lost but the relationship with PAS, which was not in the same direction previously, has been restored after the unification of the ummah was mobilised.

"UMNO has never been buried, let alone said to be weak to the extent it can be seen that it can be used and manipulated at will," she said.

Noraini, who is also the Minister of Higher Education, said Wanita wanted the party's leadership to remain firm in ensuring that UMNO returned to lead.

“Not because of power, not because of seats but this sacred party needs to dominate for the welfare of the people which has so long been proven.

"Never allow the seats that Wanita and the party machinery have won laboriously to be given to traitors who have jumped the party," she said.