DPM Zahid makes history as first Umno president to attend DAP congress

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — In politics, there are no perpetual enemies.

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi made history today as the first Barisan Nasional chairman and Umno president to attend a DAP national congress. With him was Umno secretary-general Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“Today is historic because we have Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi present at this year's national congress, the first time,” said DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng.

Zahid's presence at the DAP's 2023 national congress came amid murmurs about growing uneasiness among Pakatan Harapan grassroots after the High Court agreed to the prosecution's application to discharge the Umno president from 47 corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges without amounting to an acquittal.

The DAP, a key PH component member, has long touted itself as a party unrelenting about fighting corruption but its decision to align with Umno had sparked talks about internal protests.

While the party's top leaders have dismissed the allegation as mere gossip, many of them have made painstaking efforts to explain the alliance to members in the run-up to last month's state elections.

PH kept Penang and Negeri Sembilan with a two-thirds majority but lost a considerable number of seats in Selangor.