UMNO General Assembly best platform for Ahmad Zahid to explain UMNO-PKR cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO General Assembly this weekend will be the best platform for the party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to explain all rumours and speculations on UMNO-PKR cooperation, according to former Barisan Nasional secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

He said the UMNO president will have the best opportunity to do so in his policy speech at the assembly.

"There have been speculations, questions and contradicting news reports (on the cooperation).

"Some say that the president has discussed it with PKR, some say there was a letter with signatures supporting (PKR president Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim.

"Anwar was also reported as saying that there were discussions, but not cooperation. PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said they were just normal meetings."

Annuar, who is also Federal Territories Minister, said this to reporters after attending the handing over ceremony of housekeys to owners of Residensi Razakmas2 apartments graced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin here today.

UMNO General Assembly will be held in a hybrid manner this weekend after being postponed for a year due to COVID-19.

On the 18-year-old voting age and automatic voter registration which could only be implemented after September 1 next year, Annuar said the Election Commission (EC) should be given rooms to settle all the relevant matters.

“...to complete the electoral roll is not a simple thing. I was made to understand that when we want to implement the automatic voter registration, there will be questions on whether the EC would set their polling centre according to the address on their identity card or whether they will be given options on where to vote.

“So, EC will need time to solve those issues,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said the EC should expedite the process as they were high hopes that it could be implemented in the GE15.

-- BERNAMA