KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin today said that Umno and PAS will need the support of all Malaysians to ensure the success of the political cooperation between both parties.
Khaled said the political cooperation that was formalised between the two biggest Malay parties yesterday is centred around the National Consensus where they would carve a political future that includes representation from all segments of the community.
“Umno and PAS have always believed that any cooperation between the two parties must take into account the diversity of this country.
“The cooperation of Umno and PAS alone will not bring about political victory and this is well understood by both parties.
“To form a government, Umno and PAS need the support of every Malaysian, not just Malays and Muslims. Umno and PAS have never ignored the interests of Malaysian citizens of various lineage and identity,” he said in a statement.
Khaled explained that the National Consensus allows both parties to discuss various national issues across the political divide, such as economy, education and federalism, among other things.
“The purpose is to trigger a national discourse at a scale and impact that has never been seen before.
“The country can no longer be allowed to revolve around personality politics or let the country’s direction to be determined by just the Prime Minister,” he said.
Khaled said the political cooperation also celebrates the differences between Umno and PAS, where both parties are not constricted to a narrow view of ideologies or values.
He said this new political cooperation also opens its door to other political or civil society organisations who wish to participate.
“Even parties from Sabah and Sarawak, and various civil society organisations are welcome to join this National Consensus.
“So to anyone who perceives that the cooperation between Umno and PAS is only about Malay and Islam, they are misguided.
“Umno and PAS are much more sophisticated and will never be trapped in the racial and religious tropes that are depicted by Pakatan,” he said.
Yesterday Umno and PAS signed a political cooperation memorandum charter known as the National Consensus Charter, that listed five cores of their alliance.
The basis of the charter was to unify the ummah (Muslim community) to harmonise multiracial Malaysia.
