On Unfamiliar Terrain Umno Says Bn Must Learn From Opposition Veteran Pas

---

Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki today said his party will continue to value MIC as a loyal ally in BN even as it enters into a new friendship with PAS
Speaking at the MIC annual convention in Kuala Lumpur, Asyraf said BN as a federal opposition first-time could learn from PAS' experiences over the last six decades
"How do we (BN) feel (now) as the opposition? Our friends in PAS have decades of experience, and we must learn from them
"We should not be arrogant, we must learn from PAS. Some of us (BN components) when we became the opposition, it was not even a few months and they jumped ship (left BN)," said Asyraf
"Our ship has not sunk, our vessel remains strong, even if our sail is torn, our oars broken, holes here and there, it will not sink [...] we will defend the BN 'ship' as we have no other options," said Asyraf.He said BN must return to federal power as Pakatan Harapan leaders - particularly from the DAP - had allegedly failed to maintain national harmony and have instead stoked tensions among the races
BN, which had held federal power since Malaysia's independence, lost to the Harapan coalition following the May 9 polls
In the weeks that followed, component parties began to announce their exit from the sinking coalition
Sarawak BN dissolved after PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP announced on June 12 that they were leaving to form their own state-based alliance, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)
In Sabah, PBRS, Upko, and LDP also left BN
Taking into account new challenges brought on by Umno's partnership with PAS, Asyraf said all parties, including MIC, should be prepared to agree to disagree on certain issues
"Like I said to (the MIC Youth chief) Thinalan, let us discuss with an open heart. We must be ready to discuss sensitive issues
"We must be ready to agree to disagree on certain issues because this (Umno-PAS cooperation) will be the core of our strength," he said
When met later, PAS Youth chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin (second from right, below) said his party's overall aim was to strengthen the opposition bloc, including fostering ties with other BN components
"That is why we are here today. To show our solidarity with friends from MIC and show this is the face of a new Malaysia that we want
"We may have different political ideologies but we are all Malaysians and we can unite on the grounds of justice and seeking peace," he told Malaysiakini
Top MIC leaders earlier moved to convince members that the party would not be left behind as Umno moves to formalise its cooperation with PAS
The leaders, who urged members to embrace the Umno-PAS cooperation as a way for BN to return to power, reassured them there was no truth in the "radical" image attached to PAS by its critics. - Mkini

---