Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has criticized what he describes as deepening political hypocrisy among rival parties, accusing them of using religious and racial sentiment to manipulate public perception while ignoring their own past alliances. Speaking during Umno’s 79th anniversary celebration, he highlighted what he saw as a growing trend of double standards that threatens national unity.
Zahid pointed out that those currently accusing Umno of compromising by aligning with DAP were themselves part of coalitions with the same party in the past. He reminded the public that this opposition party had previously stood shoulder to shoulder with DAP under coalitions like Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat, even forming the government together in 2018. In doing so, they had reportedly abandoned their own identity by contesting under a different party’s logo—an act Zahid portrayed as a betrayal of principles.
He contrasted this with Umno’s approach, stating that his party has never sacrificed its values for political convenience. While some opposition figures had once permitted their followers to engage in symbolic gestures like praying outside DAP offices or elevating DAP leaders to revered religious status, Zahid emphasized that Umno had never engaged in such displays.
In a remark loaded with irony, he recalled how Umno was previously labeled negatively for working with MCA and MIC, yet the same critics now mirror Umno's inclusive model while cloaking their actions in religious justifications. Zahid did not mention any party by name, but his comments were widely interpreted as a veiled criticism of PAS.
He urged Umno members to resist falling into the trap of emotionally charged narratives and to remain focused on the broader objective of regaining the people’s confidence. According to Zahid, all of Umno’s major decisions are made through collective leadership, not by any single individual, reinforcing the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
In a gesture of reconciliation, Zahid also expressed readiness to welcome back former members, provided their return was driven by sincerity rather than political opportunism.
Looking ahead, Zahid envisioned Umno evolving into a progressive movement grounded in practical solutions, enduring legacy, and political moderation. He stressed that Malaysians today are less interested in rhetoric and more concerned with results. Umno, he said, must remain a unifying, centrist force capable of leading the nation with clarity and resolve.
Information Source: The Star
Kamran is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.