KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani today slammed comments that the party should be wary of working with DAP, given its long history of harmonious cooperation with non-Malay parties. 

Instead, the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said party members should be more afraid of the fractured and fragmented Malay unity.  

“Why should we fear DAP? If we never feared Gerakan, MCA or any other non-Malay-based parties, why should we fear DAP?

In fact, what we should be afraid is actually the disunity among Malays,” Johari said, during his winding-up speech at the Umno General Assembly at World Trade Centre KL (WTCKL), here, today.

Johari also backed the Rumah Bangsa approach, pitched by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during his policy speech yesterday, which aims to consolidate Malay support under a single umbrella.   

As part of the approach, Zahid established the Jawatankuasa Penyatuan Rumah Bangsa committee to manage individual and en-bloc applications for entry or re-entry into Umno. 

Stressing that politics requires pragmatism over rhetoric, Johari said Umno needs to develop tech-savvy and competent leaders who can strike a chord with the younger Malaysians.

At the same time, he said Umno requires wise leaders to prudently resolve differences with coalition partners when the party is no longer a dominant force in the government.