BN needs to be suspended, says Umno

Kamles Kumar Kamles Kumar Updated 5 years ago · Published on 10 Aug 2018 7:00AM · 11 Comments

BARISAN Nasional should be suspended temporarily to explore the possibilities of fostering other political partnerships, said Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa.

The former minister said Umno was going through a “new phase” and the BN component parties needed to be pragmatic and look at the possibility of working with other parties.

“We have decided that component parties must take care of themselves for the time being.

“BN for the time being needs to be suspended for a little while. Let us try a new approach,” Annuar told The Malaysian Insight.

There were initially 13 parties in BN but after the 14th general election, the coalition is now only left with MCA, MIC and Umno. 

Component parties in BN, including those in Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), still retain a good relationship but need to take care of their own houses first before rebuilding the coalition, he said.

“We need to be very pragmatic. We cannot afford to sit on our past successes, still thinking of the glorious days of BN. We need to instead make a practical assessment,” Annuar added.

The Ketereh MP said the previous “unwritten understanding” in BN was not effective and that had cost the coalition its victory in GE14.

“There was an unwritten understanding on quotas (of seats), we became less flexible and at the end of the day, we lost some seats.

“There were almost 30 parliamentary seats that we should have won if we had cooperated with PAS but we stayed put and rigid.

“Those three-cornered fights never worked in our favour and, in fact, were advantageous to the new political parties. How much damage has been done for being so rigid? We now have to look at political configurations.”

BN won only 79 seats in GE14 and now left with 54 seats after the defection of several lawmakers and component parties quitting the coalition.

The Umno man also welcomed MCA’s idea of using its party logo to contest the coming Balakong by-election.

If it happens, the senior BN component party would be breaking from convention by dropping the BN logo.

“They are most welcome to do that. That is part of the acid test and we will like to see the result. We do not have a problem with that.

“At Umno level, we agree if MCA contests under its own logo. Later on, if Umno decides to contest using its own logo, we can also do that.”

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai said the party is mulling contesting under its own logo in Balakong. 

In the recently concluded Sg Kandis by-election, Umno’s Lokman Noor Adam contested under the BN banner.  

BN suffered its first defeat in more than 60 years when the Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led Pakatan Harapan swept to victory in GE14 to form a new government. – August 10, 2018.

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Comments

  • You guys can suspend yourselves from a tree for all we care

    Posted 5 years ago by Watchdog Watchdog · Reply

    • ...suspend........go and hang yourself la friend!

      Posted 5 years ago by Azis Yusoff · Reply

  • The right thing for BN to do is to get rid of its kleptocrats and become a more open and inclusive party focused on helping less fortunate Malaysians. Moderate race, religion or royalty rhetoric and declare war on extremism and corruption. The days of racist parties, including MCA and MIC are over regardless of whose logo they use.

    Posted 5 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • The status for BN is now..."Hancur"

    Posted 5 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply

  • Umno wants to be back as the govt in 2 years! Is this a cause for concern, for the Pakatoons?..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

    • Umno is diminishing and off to oblivion......educated Malays dont need umno!...existing umno leaders are of the same kind and group as najib, the thief robber and pirate!

      Posted 5 years ago by Azis Yusoff · Reply

  • Still can get it .... its to the museum and follow by to its store room as long as Jibby is roaming free to open his mouth and you wanting to keep with the old tradition.

    Posted 5 years ago by Teruna Kelana · Reply

  • BN may hancur but samll groups or individual fragments are very toxic radioactive . PH better put on lead sheets baju but will also become too heavy to move ..

    Posted 5 years ago by TC BOY · Reply

  • Hello Ketereh! Damage already done. Either you use BN or party logo, it doesnt mean anything any more already. People already rejected umno, mca and mic because of your corrupted leaders. Your leaders have been enjoying good and luxurious way of life from people support but yet you guys put people life on difficulty with rising cost of living. One thing you can do now to improve your image - help PH to put your corrupted leaders into lockup. Show your actions against corruption, not hiding or supporting it.

    Posted 5 years ago by Leng Kapri As Saribasi · Reply

  • Hello Ketereh! Damage already done. Either you use BN or party logo, it doesnt mean anything any more already. People already rejected umno, mca and mic because of your corrupted leaders. Your leaders have been enjoying good and luxurious way of life from people support but yet you guys put people life on difficulty with rising cost of living. One thing you can do now to improve your image - help PH to put your corrupted leaders into lockup. Show your actions against corruption, not hiding or supporting it.

    Posted 5 years ago by Leng Kapri As Saribasi · Reply

  • What ballyhooing is this retard coming out with??? BN is already dead and gone. MCA with just one lone voice and MIC are no better either. Umno itself with the infighting surfacing will just ignite their own time bomb and blown away from the political landscape in Malaysia. The hope of Umno to reform is just only a wish list. No one in Umno wants the reform as the same old guards are just lip servicing and waiting to share the loots from assets stripping when Umno disintegrate BUT they forgot that it is frozen and will be deeply frozen.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply