UMNO members will no longer have private meetings with ministers, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi following the controversy over party MPs meeting Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali last month.

The Umno president said any meeting with the government will be above board and through party channels.

He said all the elected representatives in Umno have agreed to this and will reject any efforts to engage them through the back door. 

“Umno members must not believe stories on social media and stories from provocateurs who are talking about BN MPs having back-door discussions. 

“I have met with them and they have given their guarantee to remain BN and Umno MPs,” he said at the end of the Umno General Assembly at Putra World Trade Centre today.

Zahid said Umno’s official stand is that all speculation and opinions on back-door negotiations have to stop. 

Earlier, an Umno youth delegate said the party should focus on winning the next general election rather than get back into power through the back door.

Umno Cheras representative Johari Yazid said the party had fought hard and lost the last general election, but it did not mean it had lost resolve to win the next one.

Yesterday, PAS said it had no problems with forming a back-door government, said Takiyuddin Hassan after Umno indicated it would only take federal power through a general election.

Takiyuddin, who is PAS secretary-general, equated the formation of a government to a football match, where teams would exploit weaknesses to score against their opponents.

Last month, 22 Umno MPs met Azmin, triggering speculation that it was plot to deny Anwar Ibrahim the prime ministership and keep Dr Mahathir Mohamad in power.

Zahid said news of the meeting had upset party grassroots and supporters, fresh from BN’s big win in the Tanjung Piai by-election on November 16. – December 7, 2019.