UMNO members should not be sidelined or discriminated against over receiving government aid and support, Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman told party delegates today.

While admitting that while Umno members were their political enemies, Syed Saddiq said that were also their fellow Malaysians and Muslims.

“If we want to punish the four million Umno members, how are we going to win them over to support us? They are our fellow citizens, our Muslim brothers.

“Imagine if we are defeated in the next general election; do we want them to behave in the same way towards us? The winners take all while those defeated are left with nothing.

“If we go on punishing them, the state governments under Bersatu will suffer. We do not want this to happen. As Malaysians, our futures are tied together,” he said in his closing speech at Bersatu’s annual general assembly in Putrajaya today.

He said this while referring to debates from delegates urging for the party not to show face to the opposition, especially Umno.

Bersatu had been accused of pinching Umno’s elected reps as a way to strengthen the party’s standing in Pakatan Harapan. So far, Bersatu has four former Umno MPs, with several more set to join it soon.

Syed Saddiq also slammed party members desperate for positions and contracts in the government and government-linked companies.

“We are not like the old Umno with hundreds of seats. Look again; we have only one seat in Perak but our members want GLC postings, government postings and contracts. That’s problematic,” he said. – December 30, 2018.