UMNO will contest in all seats it won in the last general election, including those won by candidates who have jumped to Bersatu, said Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. 

The Umno president said it was determined to retain all the seats the party won in the 15th general election and the decision was endorsed by its Supreme Council. 

“Umno Supreme Council has decided all Barisan Nasional seats won in the last election, we will contest those seats again. 

“Even if the winner has left (the party), it is Umno’s seat to be contested. We must recapture those seats,” Zahid said during his opening speech at the Bagan Datuk Umno division meeting today.  

Among the notable seats Umno won in the past election but lost when the lawmakers jumped over to Bersatu include Jeli (Mustapa Mohamad), Larut (Hamzah Zainuddin), Masjid Tanah (Mas Ermieyati Samsudin) and Tasek Gelugor (Shabudin Yahya).  

Zahid told delegates Umno and other parties in BN will not join the newly registered Perikatan Nasional coalition despite rumours that it would. 

“Umno and BN will not join PN. There is no new charter signed. The November meeting was not to sign a new charter.  

“We decided on forming a presidential council for the PN government to act as a check and balance,” he said.  

The former deputy prime minister also said in the next general election Umno and other parties in BN will use the BN logo, which it had traditionally used, and not the new PN logo. 

“The council also decided in GE15, we will use the BN logo for all our candidates. We will not use any other party’s logo. It is up to them to use what logo they want but for Umno, we will use the BN logo to contest,” Zahid said.

The Bagan Datuk MP added Umno has been taken for granted in the PN government and despite the party contributing the most seats the party has been sidelined.  

“Umno has only partly become government. Umno is not dominant. Our party’s honesty has been taken for granted.  

“Umno has been asked to be grateful and thankful to be invited to be a part of the government. But the question is with the support of the 43 BN-Umno MPs, who is the one that needs to be grateful?” Zahid asked. 

He also took a veiled jab at PAS urging the Islamist party to continue the Muafakat Nasional charter, signed with Umno, instead of siding PN.  

“It is still not too late for them to return to where we began. We have watched their every move and read their media statements, we know what is happening.  

“However, we know their supporters and leaders at state levels want MN. Umno is committed to defend MN. With the support of MN, we can take over the government 

“I asked them to hold out for a bit. Do not dance to the tune that has been played now,” Zahid said, alluding to PAS. 

Earlier today, Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to call for elections soon and not use the Covid-19 pandemic as an excuse, as the vaccines will be rolled out next month. 

Umno elections director Tajuddin Abdul Rahman also made it clear yesterday that Umno will not work with Bersatu in GE15. 

In addition, Pahang Umno liaison chief Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail told Bersatu not to contest in Pahang because the party has no seat in the state. 

Meanwhile, Free Malaysia Today reported that Pulai Umno in Johor became the first division in the country to pass a resolution asking party leaders to quit the PN government immediately to force a general election. 

Its head, Nur Jazlan Mohamed, said delegates at the annual general meeting on Friday had unanimously decided it would be in the best interest of Umno and its reputation to leave the ruling coalition before the party is also blamed for the failure of PN to govern properly. – January 3, 2021.