KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — Umno, PAS, MIC, MCA, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah can form a new coalition together with PKR, Umno vice president Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin suggested.
He refuted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s claims that Umno has been destroyed, pointing out that Umno remained the biggest party in Parliament.
“It is not impossible for all these parties to combine together with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and to form a new coalition, ‘Pakatan Malaysia’, no longer ‘Pakatan Harapan’,” Khaled said in a statement last night.
“Malaysian politics are currently based on one political coalition against a myriad of political parties. This means that all political parties have their own influence and strategic importance in forming the government. Each one must be strategic and open in ensuring their survival.”
Umno division chief Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz recently offered to help PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s campaign in the upcoming Port Dickson by-election, as the latter seeks to return to Parliament and succeed Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi also confirmed that all Umno MPs have signed a statutory declaration empowering him to negotiate with other political parties outside of the Barisan Nasional, including PH component parties and PAS, to once again assume federal power.
