In his opening speech at the party’s general assembly, Zahid said Umno must dare to take on new ideas and perspectives in order to maintain its relevance in Malaysia’s political landscape, which he described as becoming more complex.
“We should not think that we are dominant as in the past. And don’t be swayed by the slander and accusations of our rivals, who want to sow mistrust among us.
“Don’t be complacent with the little power that we have, till we forget our duty of strengthening the party,” he said at Menara Dato Onn here.
Zahid also said that Umno must accept the idea of power-sharing, which he said is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia nor at the global stage.
“Over 70 countries, including Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands have adopted this governance model as a way to navigate complex political landscapes,” he said.
He added that the power-sharing arrangement often required a party to compromise on its ideals, agenda or core principles.
Likewise, Zahid said, Umno’s power-sharing arrangement within the unity government was forged with the condition that all parties accept the primacy of the Malays and Islam.
However, he stressed that if there was any attempt by any party to undermine the position of Islam or the Malays, then Umno would not hesitate to end that cooperation.
Zahid also said Umno members must not forget how Bersatu threatened the position of the Malays by seeking to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) when it was in the Pakatan Harapan government.
He pointed out that Bersatu’s former chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister then while the minister who pushed for ICERD’s ratification was current Bersatu leader Saifuddin Abdullah.
“Although (Mahathir) always says Malays are forgetful, we will not forget. If it wasn’t for Umno rising to champion the Malays by opposing it, the convention would have already been signed,” the deputy prime minister said.
He also took a swipe at PAS, questioning what Umno’s former ally had done for the Islamic agenda when it was in government from 2020 to 2022.
“There was no news on RUU355 (proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts [Criminal Jurisdiction] Act) while hudud laws were no longer its main agenda,” he said.
“The Malay people need to be aware of how they (Umno’s rivals) only know how to play on sentiments and emotions. They have no intention of strengthening the position of the Malays and Islam.
“It’s all just nauseating political drama,” he added. “Do not be tricked or swayed by their eloquent words. It will leave a big impact on our nation’s stability and harmony.”
Meanwhile, Zahid said Umno will seek to unite all Malay NGOs under a movement named Rumpun Melayu. This, he said, is aimed at bolstering a power-sharing agenda rooted in Malay and Islamic principles.