KUCHING, June 21 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is vying to be Umno president said he agreed with former Barisan Nasional components in Sarawak abandoning the coalition for their own sakes.
The Umno vice president made the remarks in a speech recorded in an undated video being distributed online.
In it, Zahid said he discussed the matter with Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg and agreed that the former Sarawak BN parties form the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) bloc.
Zahid said that while BN performed well in the previous Sarawak election, it only won 19 out of 31 parliamentary seats contested in the 14th general election.
“So what choice do they have?” he said, adding that the writing was on the wall for the Sarawak parties preparing for the next state election due within three years.
The 2:41-minute clip showed the former deputy prime minister addressing a gathering, possibly of Umno members, at an unknown location and date, and recounting his meeting with Abang Johari.
Based on his remarks, the meeting likely took place before Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) exited the Sarawak Barisan Nasional on June 12, and then formed GPS.
However, both men denied meeting after the 14th general election (GE14) on May 9.
“Abang Johari, as Sarawak chief minister and Sarawak Barisan Nasional chairman, had a discussion with me, asking for my views on the possible formation of the GPS as an alternative to BN,” he said in the clip.
“I gave my views and I agreed for GPS to be formed.”
He added that he did so in the hope that GPS would cooperate with BN and in the interest of keeping Sarawak under the control of parties that were friendly with the disintegrating coalition.
Zahid further claimed the state’s leaders assured him that the Sarawak parties would rejoin Umno and the BN if it can regain federal power.
