Umno Delegates Accept New Govt But Still Wary Of Dap

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After a lengthy explanation by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan last night, many party delegates at the party wings' general assembly said they could now accept why the party chose to join the Pakatan Harapan-led government.
However, despite being satisfied with the reasoning, many of them met by Malaysiakini earlier today expressed that they are still wary of DAP, which is a Harapan component party and had been long considered Umno's arch-enemy.
Kota Melaka Wanita Umno division secretary Nurzara Mohd AliFor Kota Melaka Wanita Umno division secretary, Nurzara Mohd Ali, it would be a hard pill for many to swallow.
"For those who really dislike DAP, they wouldn't want to work together with them.
"Because of their understanding, we have joined DAP although that is not really the case here. We are just working together. That is the difference they should understand," she said.
Among those who are still wary is Siti Liyana Ahmad, a delegate from Bangi Puteri Umno division, who is concerned about how the DAP partnership would affect Malay political power in the country.
Bangi Puteri Umno division delegate Siti Liyana AhmadThis is despite Mohamad saying last night that Umno's decades-long fight against DAP had not gained them Malay votes, as Malays were more interested in having clean and dynamic politicians.
Siti Liyana said she will adopt a wait-and-see approach for now, while trusting the Umno leadership to protect the party's interests.
"I still have some doubts but this was the decision made by the party’s top leadership.
"For me, I take it like this. The supreme council members are there and they should take responsibility to protect Umno's interests to their best."
Despite hesitancy by some, all those whom Malaysiakini spoke to said they understood that cooperation with DAP and Harapan was necessary for Umno's survival.
A Subang Wanita Umno delegate, who only wished to be known as Zainun, said it was better than being in the opposition.
"Of course, if you ask me, honestly I feel heavy-hearted (to accept DAP). I cannot accept it. But what can we do, we have to. Because if not, we would be in the opposition.
"Now at least we are represented in the government. Just that we still have to be careful," she told Malaysiakini.
The general consensus among delegates Malaysiakini met was that working with DAP and Harapan was also more palatable than working with Perikatan Nasional (PN).
This is, as Jerlun Umno Youth information chief Abdul Nizam Adnan puts it - because PN and their lynchpin party Bersatu wanted to kill Umno.
‘PN wants to kill Umno’
"Because PN wants to kill Umno. Bersatu members are former Umno members who defected.
"They even took PAS from Muafakat Nasional. So, from there we could see their intention to destroy Umno. That is why we did not agree to work with PN," he said.
Jerlun Umno Youth information chief Abdul Nizam AdnanThe remarks echo a general rejection of PN by Umno delegates - despite initial attempts by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's rivals to align the party and BN with PN chief Muhyiddin Yassin in the immediate aftermath of the general election.
Mohamad, in his remarks last night, had also said that DAP was better than PN as they were not deceitful in their intentions.
Meanwhile, Taiping Wanita Umno secretary Zuraida Mohd Hanafiah said that she also felt some sense of security that DAP would find it hard to betray Umno.
"Although working with DAP more or less hurts my feelings, this is something we have to do.
"Besides, Umno has laid out our conditions for cooperation, so if they try to do something, we can pull out our support and they (the Harapan-led government) will collapse," she said.
Not all, however, held negative views about Umno's cooperation with DAP.
Puteri Umno exco member Masliha Harun said having Umno and DAP in the government ensured both Malays and non-Malays were represented.
Puteri Umno exco member Masliha Harun"For Umno, the thing we are most concerned about is Malay votes. So does working with Harapan mean we sacrificed our principles? No.
"We consider that we are playing a role as the voice of the Malays in the government, and together with Harapan and DAP, it reflects the diversity or racial composition of the country," Masliha said.
Umno's cooperation with DAP is expected to be a major campaign point for PN in the upcoming six-state elections.
As such, Petaling Jaya Wanita Umno treasurer Zubidah Najibullah said the party must go to the ground now to convince the grassroots - who did not attend the Umno AGM and hear of the party's stance and reasoning.
"For those who came to listen (to Mohamad), I think they would be okay. But those who still do not know what is the real situation, they may still be in doubt.
"Now it is our duty to explain to the grassroots. It may be an uphill task, but we have to do it," said Zubidah, a 76-year-old who has spent over 40 years in Umno. - Mkini

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