Umno to contest in 96 parliamentary seats in GE15, says Tok Mat

REMBAU, Jan 3 — Umno aims to contest in not less than 96 parliamentary seats in the 15th General Election (GE15) after taking into account negotiations with component parties in Barisan Nasional (BN), PAS and Bersatu.

Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said based on the initial formula of the negotiations, Umno would also continue to hold on to the 55 seats won in the GE14.

“We want to retain and contest in the seats we won. We also want to contest in the seats where we were number two (second highest votes at GE14).

“We also find that there are seats our BN colleagues never won, because voters there want a Malay candidate, for example.

“Basically, the BN components also agree (on the issue of seat distribution). In GE15, we want to win, we must win to form a government, not a seat to brag.

“We must scrutinise every seat, geopolitics, voter pattern and locality,” he told reporters after launching the Rembau Division Umno Delegates Meeting, here, today.

Meanwhile, commenting on Umno election director Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s statement that Umno would only work with PAS without involving Bersatu in GE15, Mohamad who is also the Rembau Umno Division Head, said any decision is based on the party’s conclusion.

“That is his (Tajuddin) right to speak, not the party’s decision yet. For a decision, the party can bring it to the Supreme Council meeting and the next Umno General Assembly, “he said.

Asked following the decision of several Umno divisions to reject co-operation with Bersatu to face GE15, Mohamad, who is also the Chairman of the Seats Consultative Committee for Umno, said the party must first build its own strength without having to reject the co-operation.

Meanwhile, on the statement by Barisan Nasional Secretary-General Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who thought that Umno could not move solo, Mohamad said the party had its own strengths.     

“Don’t say we cannot win if we are alone..all these while we are alone too, but in the last GE14, we made a little mistake. But it is better if there is co-operation, if there is no co-operation, what is important is that we empower ourselves and the party, “he explained.

Annuar at the Ketereh Division Umno Delegates Meeting yesterday stressed that Umno could not be ‘alone’ in the political arena if it wants to achieve success in GE15, because moving solo was not a winning formula for the party. — Bernama