PUTRAJAYA: Despite Umno’s ties with DAP coming into question after the Malay party registered huge losses in Saturday’s state elections, a DAP leader says their cooperation is on the right course.
DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming said the results of the election in Negeri Sembilan could be taken as an example of how the two former sworn enemies could work well together.
“We can see that the cooperation between Umno and DAP is on the right track based on how well we did in Negeri Sembilan (where Pakatan Harapan and Umno won 31 of 36 seats contested).
“Umno also almost won every seat it contested there,” Nga told reporters after an event here today.
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“We have only been together for nine months, so give us four or five years and I’m confident the unity government will be stronger and more stable,” he said.
On Sunday, Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil questioned the party’s alliance with DAP after the Barisan Nasional lynchpin registered huge losses in the elections in five other states.
Umno won only 19 of the 108 state seats it contested, following an equally dismal performance in the 15th general election last November, where it claimed only 26 of the 120 constituencies it contested.
In a Facebook post, Isham said he had encountered party members who voiced their concerns about partnering with DAP while campaigning for the state elections.
The former Umno information chief said the party needs to “resolve the DAP issue”, and suggested that it consider cooperating with DAP in the government only, and not in elections.
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