KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Umno has struggled to convince the majority of Malay voters to accept its cooperation with DAP in the federal Government, party deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said today.

Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, said attempts to justify the partnership had failed to soften the reservations of the Malay electorate, with longstanding perceptions about DAP continuing to shape how the cooperation was viewed.

“Look at how Umno has tried to justify and explain its cooperation with DAP in the Unity Government.

“There is no argument that can convince the majority of the Malay constituency, or soften their position, to accept Umno’s cooperation with DAP in the Unity Government.

“The reason is that it has become entrenched in the minds of Malays that DAP has never agreed with affirmative action policies for bumiputera. There is also a stigma that DAP is anti-Islam,” he said in his speech at the simultaneous opening of the Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri Umno general assemblies here last night.

He said the difficulty was not necessarily linked to the performance of the Unity Government, which he acknowledged had implemented policies and programmes aimed at growing the economy despite global geopolitical challenges.

He also cited the government’s distribution of aid, efforts to combat corruption and leakages, and reforms across various sectors, saying Umno supported these as part of its collective responsibility in government.

“However, all this is not seen as being more Malay.

“As long as Umno is seen as being with DAP, all of this will make the Unity Government appear as though it does not represent the Malays and their interests,” he said. 

Mohamad said issues concerning Malay interests would continue to be a dominant force in Malay politics, with leadership performance, good policies and quality public service taking secondary consideration among Malay voters.

He warned that Umno would be seen as neglecting Malay and Islamic interests if it failed to manage the issue effectively.

His remarks come as Umno seeks to rebuild its support among Malay voters, after years of political upheaval since its defeat in the 2018 general election.