JOHOR BARU, June 30 — A Johor PKR MP has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) today to take the opportunity to strengthen its position and garner the voters' support for the 15th general election (GE15) amid purported schism in Umno from Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman's public outbursts.

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said PH must not take Umno’s current situation for granted but rather mobilise its remaining positive strength that still exists among the component parties by filtering and eliminating the negative elements from within.

"This is to build an electoral understanding. PH needs to go back to the people to get their support by having genuine thoughts, ideas, suggestions and agenda change, not rhetoric.

"Trust the people. They want change and hope that guarantees their future as well as that of their children. Maybe this time is a second chance for PH to regain its mandate to save the people and our beloved Malaysia," Hassan said in a statement here.

The activist-lawyer was responding to the possibility that Umno may find itself split into several factions, following the revelation by Tajuddin of plots and covert maneuvering involving the top leaders of the country’s largest Malay party.

Hassan, who is also the former Johor PKR chief, claimed that Umno is now divided and waiting to split after the revelation by the Pasir Salak MP about its party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Monday.

He said Ahmad Zahid had lost whatever integrity he had as a political leader as a result of the revelation, similar to disgraced former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Najib, on the other hand, is the 'de facto' Umno leader who wants to make a comeback and be the boss in Putrajaya again despite becoming a liability for his party.

"Najib may have managed to delay his court trial with various interlocutory applications, but he still failed to gain the people's trust,” said Hassan, adding that no one citizen in a sovereign and dignified country wants a tainted leader to lead again.

Hassan pointed out that now Umno only has Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob who is expected to be the "poster boy" for Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition for the coming general election.

Since being back in federal power in 2020, Umno has been seen to be divided between the court cluster led by Ahmad Zahid and Najib, with the Cabinet lineup under Ismail Sabri.

Both Ahmad Zahid and Najib had recently pushed Ismail Sabri to dissolve Parliament, paving the way for a snap election, which Tajuddin has claimed was to save Ahmad Zahid from his current corruption charges against him.