A GENERAL election must be called right after the Covid-19 pandemic is contained, said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid said this is needed to return the people’s mandate and having a stable government.

“Umno decided that the people’s mandate should be returned in the form of a general election, right after the pandemic is contained and is at a minimal level,” he said after chairing a four-hour Supreme Council meeting tonight.

The meeting was held amid speculation the party’s highest decision-making body was meeting to determine its deputy prime minister candidate.

Several names were bandied about in the run-up to the meeting.

However, the statement released by the party did not touch on this matter.

For now Zahid said Umno’s ministers will continue to serve in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

“All Umno cabinet members will remain in government and be committed to continue protecting the people’s welfare and defending the party’s dignity,” he said in the statement.

“Umno will abide by the king’s decree and continue to back the existing government in order to ensure the people’s welfare is taken care of.” 

Zahid said the party will ensure Budget 2021 is all for the people.

“We will make sure the budget will be for the people. We are studying several options, such as to extend the loan moratorium, to help out unemployed youth and several more initiatives that could drive our economy,” he said.

However, he said Umno will not support any move to declare an emergency in the country.

Tonight’s meeting is the second time the council is meeting in four days, after its four-hour meeting on Monday.

On Monday, Zahid called for a national reconciliation agenda comprising all political parties, including the opposition.

He also demanded better cooperation based on “respect” and “political consensus” from PN.

This was one of the conditions set by the decision-making body, after all Umno MPs agreed to support the PN government. – October 29, 2020.