Separately, Asyraf said that the party remained open to cooperation with any political party in the interests of political stability and the well-being of the people, local media reported.
“Any form of cooperation must be rooted in the principles of sincerity and trust,” he said in a statement issued after Wednesday’s UMNO Supreme Council meeting, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today.
Asyraf added that the party has the right to decide its own stance and direction in any election, including the upcoming Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
While there have been calls from certain quarters for UMNO to revive the defunct Muafakat Nasional alliance with opposition Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday that there was no intention to revive the pact.
“Whether it is 1.0 or 2.0, that is over, and we have closed the book,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times. Formed in September 2019, MN was a short-lived political pact between PAS and UMNO, led by ex-UMNO member Annuar Musa.
Meanwhile, Anwar has also reaffirmed his unity government’s commitment to its coalition partners, saying that it would not take any action that could be perceived as a betrayal of the existing political consensus.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday during his trip to Japan, Anwar said that the government remained stable.
“Members of the Cabinet and the leadership represented in it have consistently maintained that the unity government at the national level must remain strong,” he said, as quoted by Bernama.
Amid tensions ahead of the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls, Anwar’s comments also came following recent developments within the opposition bloc following PAS’ decision to end its political relationship with coalition partner Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
Anwar said that the unity government’s political approach remained rooted in consultation, discussion and cooperation, rather than abruptly severing ties.
“In politics, this business of divorcing … and remarrying is not our way. We negotiate properly, discuss matters properly and cooperate properly. For now, the unity government remains intact, although there are some differences of opinion at the state level,” he said.
