KUALA LUMPUR: Umno has yet to rule out the possibility of working with other parties in the unity government in the 16th General Elections, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president added that the party will continue to use the Barisan Nasional logo when campaigning in the polls, saying that this is being done in agreement with the grassroots leadership.
“We will not rule out collaborating with the 18 parties in the unity government to avoid overlapping to ensure cooperation and gain support from the voters,” he said.
Speaking after a closed-door presidential briefing with delegates attending the Umno general assembly on Wednesday (Aug 21), the party president said that working comfortably with unity government parties must be done now and not just before the polls.
Ahmad Zahid added that this is one of the five guiding principles which was laid out to Umno delegates during his briefing.
He added that while Unmo’s main agenda is for race and religion, those of other races, ethnicities, religions, cultures and languages must not be left out.
“Instead, as we champion our agenda, we must make a genuine effort to reach out to the other races,” he added.
On Umno’s win in the Nenggiri by-election, Ahmad Zahid said that it had given a new impetus for the party to unite and adopt the best strategy to succeed.
He however added that the approaches taken will differ based on the local political situation.
