PONTIAN, Oct 15 — Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has called on Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters to look at the victory the coalition gained without PAS on their side in the Melaka and Johor state elections as a benchmark, which can be repeated in the 15th General Election (GE15).
He said Umno has been prepared to face the GE15 without PAS on their side since after the two state elections.
"I'm not bragging but I don't want the machinery to be disheartened when the Muafakat Nasional (MN) alliance with PAS is not happening in the GE15.
"We won 21 out of 28 seats in Melaka and 40 out of 56 seats in the Johor state election without having to be known as MN," he told reporters after officiating the Pontian Umno division meeting at Umno Building in Pontian, here, today.
He said BN and Umno machinery should not be dispirited, adding that they should continue with all the work that has been done so far.
Meanwhile, Johor BN General Election director Datuk Hasni Mohammad said Umno also believed in the unification of the ummah to ensure the country’s stability and prosperity purported by PAS, however, he likened the cooperation with PAS to a ‘second helping of rice’.
"When we have started eating, it means we have started (working on) the election, whether we want more rice or not, we have to wait until we finish eating...then we will see whether we are full or not full, or need to add more (rice),” he said, adding that he did not rule out the possibility of considering discussions with PAS after the GE15.
Both Ahmad and Hasni were asked to comment about PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang's statement that PAS had no intention of antagonising BN after deciding to cooperate with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia under Perikatan Nasional in GE15, adding that there was still "turbidity" that plagued BN in several matters, including corruption issues that have not been resolved. — Bernama
