ONCE-bitten Umno will not allow itself to be betrayed by Bersatu again after it was played out by the prime minister’s party at the Sabah elections last year, said Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

“We want honest political partners, not those who would stab us in the back,” the Umno Supreme Council member told The Malaysian Insight.

“So there is no basis to accuse Umno of breaking up Malay unity, more so when Bersatu has stabbed Umno in the back. 

“Once bitten, twice shy.”

Puad, who is among the most vocal opponents of his party’s continued dalliance with Bersatu in Perikatan Nasional, said Umno had many reasons to want out of the relationship.

“The key reason for us wanting to leave is because there is no political integrity (in Bersatu).

“When there is no honesty, there is no consensus and they tend to make decisions without consulting us,” said the former Batu Pahat MP.

He said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Bersatu president, had selected the Umno MPs to his cabinet without consulting the party or regard for its hierarchy.

“And while they had announced the setting up of the Perikatan Nasional presidential council, they went on to cancel the high-speed rail project on their own.

“Muhyiddin did not even talk to the other party presidents before proposing to the king his plan to declare a state of emergency. That is not an honest way of dealing with your partners.”

No Malay unity

Puad said Umno members were also disappointed by the treatment they received in Sabah during the state polls last September.

“We went in with good intentions after it was decided which seats each party would contest. But after the seat negotiations (were concluded), they sponsored independent candidates (who stood against Umno) and caused Umno to lose seats.

“This is a bitter experience that we will not allow to happen again.”

Puad said it is clear Umno will be better off going into the next general election on its own.

The former Special Affairs Unit chief brushed aside the claims that Umno will destroy Malay unity by quitting Perikatan Nasional.

“There is no point talking about Malay unity when you stabbed us in Sabah.

“This (Malay unity) is just political rhetoric. If Bersatu is sincere about Malay unity, why did it partner Pakatan Harapan to cause Umno to lose power? There is no Malay unity if the parties are bent on undermining each other.”

In the Sabah elections, BN lost eight seats directly to PN and its allies.

On top of that, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a member of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), which is allied to PN, wrecked BN’s chances at least a dozen seats by creating multi-cornered fights that split the vote.

BN also suffered multi-cornered tussles against STAR for three seats, independents (three) and Parti Cinta Sabah (one).

These ensured BN ended the polls with just 14 seats, compared to PN’s 27 – 17 with GRS, seven PBS and three with friendly independents. – February 26, 2021.