UMNO should not work with Bersatu in the next general election as the latter’s agenda is to replace the Barisan Nasional lynchpin party, youth wing members and grassroots leaders said.

“Bersatu does not keep its promises,” Lembah Pantai Youth chief Muhamad Muqharabbin Mokhtarrudin told The Malaysian Insight on the sidelines of the 2020 Umno Annual General Assembly (AGM) in PWTC yesterday.

“They promised to hold elections but then declared a state of emergency,” said Muqharabbin.

He is also annoyed at the way Bersatu is recruiting new members.

“It’s fine for them to recruit members from PKR or Amanah but they should not recruit members from Umno.

“They pinched our branch chiefs and also some of our grassroots.”

He also noted that Bersatu Supreme Council member Mohamed Azmin Ali had openly said that the party aims to replace Umno.

“Why should we support Bersatu, if that’s the case?” Muqharabbin asked.

The 39-year-old said that Umno is willing to help Bersatu if the party wants to win new seats.

“But not at the expense of Umno or if they try to take our seats.”

Umno is in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government after supporting Bersatu’s move to launch a parliamentary coup that toppled the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration a year ago.

But ties have soured since then, and Umno at its ongoing AGM which ends today is to decide whether to endorse its leadership’s position on cutting ties with Bersatu and PN for GE15.

Another Youth member, Mohd Shafiq Fhadly Mahmud, said that he too agreed with the decision to part ways with Bersatu in the coming polls.

“Although we have been working with Bersatu for a year now, there is no sincerity in the relationship and there are many incidents that have upset our members,” said the engineer.

Shafiq claimed Bersatu is using money to “buy” Umno’s members to compete against Umno in some constituencies.

“Our relationship with Bersatu is different from PAS as that cooperation is from the grassroots level.

“Between Umno and PAS, there is a lot of support and it will be easy for the parties to work together. But there is just too much conflict with Bersatu.”

Lumut Youth chief Mohd Rafiq Mohd said he does want to continue working with the party which wants to replace Umno.

“Take my constituency for instance. They want to put candidates there to contest when it’s an Umno seat.

“The thing that worries me is if there are three-cornered fights between PN, Umno and PH.

“If Umno or the other Malay parties lose, this will benefit a third party. As such, we feel that Umno should try to get PAS to leave PN.”

Besides a decision on whether to stop political cooperation with Bersatu in GE15, Umno’s AGM is also expected to discuss its future with PAS and other parties ahead of the next polls. – March 28, 2021.