UMNO cannot work with Pakatan Harapan parties as their ideologies are based on socialism and equality. said Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.

“It’s not impossible to work with (PKR or DAP) if we can intergrate our ideologies. But I cannot imagine how we can do this when one ideology is based on socialism and equal treatment for all,” the Putrajaya Umno division deputy chief told Insight Talk yesterday.

“The federal constitution provides special positions (for Malays and Bumiputera) and has placed Islam in the highest position. I do not believe that the evangelists can accept that,” said the Umno stalwart, referring to DAP, which has Christian leaders.

Tun Faisal, who is press officer to Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa, was commenting on the likelihood of Umno tying up with PKR or DAP.

“The Pakatan Harapan government would not have fallen if these issues were not a problem,” said Tun Faisal, pointing to the treaties the PH administration had wished to sign against racism and genocide, which had triggered protests from the Malay community.

“These are issues that cannot be compromised. Hence, why would we want to make the wrong choice?”

It was then PH foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah who proposed that Malaysia became signatory to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Rome Statute on crimes against humanity. Saifuddin is now the PN information minister.

In the end, the PH government decided against ratifying both, following pressure from the Malay rulers and Muslim groups, who said the treaties went against the power of the monarchy, Malay privileges, and the sanctity of Islam.

The government fell in February 2020 after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin took his party out of the coalition. He left with 11 PKR members led by Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Umno president Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently told the party’s AGM that the party will not cooperate with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, DAP and Bersatu in the next elections.

Tun Faisal and Annuar are among Zahid’s critics who are opposed to Umno teaming up with PH, favouring  Bersatu and PN for partners instead..

On March 28, the Umno general assembly voted to end ties with Bersatu and mandated the leadership to withdraw from the PN government as and when it sees fit. – April 8, 2021.

Tun Faisal has often accused PKR and DAP of attempting to do away with Malay rights and privileges, challenging the position of Islam in the country and accusing DAP of having a Christian agenda to spook the Malays. – April 8, 2021.