MARAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to work with Pakatan Harapan in facing the 16th General Election (GE16), says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
However, the BN chairman said that both BN and Pakatan will contest using their own symbols in the election.
"Insya-Allah in the upcoming GE, we will use the Barisan Nasional logo. This does not mean we are moving away from the unity government alliance.
"It means that Pakatan can contest using its logo and we will contest with our own, but in terms of cooperation, we will maintain it.
"As long as the constituencies we contest in are not contested by them and we do not contest in the areas they are contesting in,” he told a press conference after officiating at the Maran Umno division delegates meeting in Pekan Tajau here Sunday (June 30).
In his speech, Ahmad Zahid said that since the party has been in the unity government with Pakatan Harapan, no Islamic agenda has been sidelined.
"I am responsible for steering UMNO (and) I will ensure that the component parties in this Unity Government adhere to all matters enshrined in the Constitution, protecting issues related to Islam and Malay rights, neither more nor less, period. That is our confidence,” he said.
Commenting on the status of the People's Progressive Party (MyPPP) which felt sidelined to the point of deciding not to campaign for the Unity Government in the Sungai Bakap state by-election, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the party is still among the allied parties in Friends of BN.
"No, we welcome everybody. We welcome every party leader to participate and also to contribute their effort. Currently, there are 11 Friends of BN as allied parties within BN, we treat them all equally. They are still part of Friends of BN (they are not component parties within BN).
"There are only four component parties, UMNO, MCA, MIC and PBRS because the BN constitution stipulates that the decision to accept any party must be by consensus, 100 percent... if any party disagrees, then we will not accept,” he said.
MyPPP decided not to campaign in the Sungai Bakap by-election even though they had previously helped BN in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election in Selangor.
MyPPP acting president Datuk Loga Bala Mohan was quoted as saying that the decision was made for the dignity of the party after feeling sidelined despite their hard work in helping the Unity Government candidate win in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election held on May 11.
Polling for the Sungai Bakap by-election, which sees a straight fight between PH and Perikatan Nasional, is on July 6. - Bernama