KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Discussions surrounding the possibility of snap polls being called were on the agenda of Umno’s supreme council meeting that took place last night, said Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
The Umno secretary-general, in a report by The Star, however, did not divulge many details as to what was actually said during the meeting.
“But we discussed it in general terms, nothing specific,” Annuar was quoted as saying in the report.
He added that snap polls were being looked at as an option to counter the attempt by Pakatan Harapan (PH) to wrestle back power.
This comes as speculation of snap polls surfaced following the supposed instability of Perikatan Nasional (PN) as a government with PH preparing to pounce and oust the four-month-old coalition.
Additionally, the report also quoted Annuar as saying that other topics discussed during the council meeting included what needs to be done by Umno to strengthen its position and how to set the country’s policy direction for the sake of the Malays and Islam.
When asked about rumours of coalition partners Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) supposed attempt to contest up to 50 parliamentary seats if snap polls are called, Annuar stressed that topics were discussed on a general level and not in minute detail.
“These are all mere speculation. It is not an issue warranting detailed discussions at this point in time,” he was quoted as saying.
Annuar also denied the Umno’s supreme council had discussed the possibility of Bersatu joining its Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact together with PAS, saying if such matters did arise, it would be brought up during the MN steering committee meeting tomorrow.
The report also quoted Umno’s Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as also not ruling out snap polls being called.
“If possible, we want to avoid polls in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. But we need to be prepared for any eventuality,” he was quoted as saying.
