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UMNO has no intention of hastily reviving political alliances with opposition parties, its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday, stressing that the party is determined not to repeat past mistakes.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said any future political decision would be scrutinised carefully to avoid what he described as being “bitten by the same snake for the second time in the same place”.
“We do not want to be nostalgic by using any names that were previously suggested and we have not finalised anything yet… that is why the details are important,” he told reporters after attending the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development’s 2026 New Year Address here.
He was responding to questions on whether UMNO and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia could revive their former cooperation under the Muafakat Nasional banner.
Ahmad Zahid said a resolution on the matter had been tabled by the UMNO Youth chief during a Political Bureau meeting on Monday and discussed openly, but no final decision had been reached.
On 3 January, UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Mohamad Akmal Saleh had brought forward two motions at the wing’s special convention, proposing that UMNO resume cooperation with PAS and withdraw from the Unity Government to sit as part of the opposition.
Ahmad Zahid also confirmed that there was no conclusive decision on the Youth wing’s call for UMNO to leave the Unity Government.
“No final decision has been made and God willing, this is a major decision that will be made by the party… when the time comes, we will announce it,” he said.
He reiterated that both his personal stance and the party’s position had been consistent from the outset.
“I have had a stand from the beginning, and the party has also had a stand from the beginning… we will never engage in ‘tebuk atap’ against the existing government, and we will remain together with the Unity Government until the end of the term before the 16th General Election is held,” he added. - January 6, 2025