No reason UMNO unable to cooperate with 'enemy'... - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: It is not impossible that UMNO can work with parties that have been labelled as political 'enemies' such as DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

According to the Pekan Member of Parliament, the party he had led for nine years, is practising an open stand to all options but it must get the consent of the leaders and the grassroots.

"Politics is the art of the possible… I do not see any reason why we cannot have our openness to a cooperation, provided UMNO members and leaders must be able to accept, and they are sincere, there is trust in a cooperation.

"But if we want to form a new political alliance, and not based on reliability or trust, it will collapse, sooner or later it will collapse. It (has already) happened to Pakatan Harapan because the basis of that trust does not exist,” he added.

Najib said this during an interview in the ‘Exclusive With Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’ program on Astro AWANI tonight.

Recently, some media reported the openness of the party now led by Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to establish cooperation with DAP and PKR, especially during the transition of the Perak state government leadership a few months ago.

Political analysts argued it has the potential to open a page of new political dynamics.

Commenting further, Najib said, cooperation between parties that are considered political enemies is not a new thing in this country.

“If you look at PH, who can think that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can be together in a political alliance to bring down Barisan Nasional.

"But it happened. Dr Mahathir with DAP, for example, can sit at the same table, can appoint DAP to important (Cabinet) positions,” he said.

However, he added, it finally failed to survive until the next general election (GE) due to the growing distrust among PH component parties.

For that reason, Najib reiterated that any decision involving changes in UMNO's policies or principles, especially in cooperation with other political parties, must go through a thorough discussion, and be accepted by the party's grassroots.