KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 Nov – Umno President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he did not use his prerogative rights as the party leader when making decisions for the party.
Instead, Zahid who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman said all decisions were made in unison by leaders.
“Let me share with you the method in making decisions. I will never use the prerogative rights as a President. Instead I always do it collectively.
“In this matter, I will consult not only my colleagues at the top, especially the Deputy President and Vice-Presidents. It goes with those in the Political Bureau apart from the five at the top flight, including the Secretary-General, the Information Chief, Treasurer, Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri chiefs, as well as all State Liasion chiefs to discuss and seek their stand.
“After all this are done, the decisions will be presented to the Supreme Council and discussed with open heart. In this manner, some agreed and some didn’t, and finally we adopted a resolution that we must agree to disagree and disagree to agree,” he said in a special interview with Owh!MG produced by Malaysia Gazette on Wednesday evening.
To avoid confusion at the grassroots, he said only the President or the Secretary-General can issue statements.
“In this regard, any statement issued by the President or the Sec-Gen is considered official.
“However, there are a few leaders who give the impression that their personal opinion is that of the party’s, and I am compelled to shut them up but in our openness of course personal opinion cannot be taken as that of the party’s decision. In fact, I told them that whatever personal statement they made as office bearer will reflect on the party.
“In this case, I have advised them not to confuse the grassroots. Such confusions will imply that Umno has no direction whereas it was stated in the President’s policy speech where all the implementations were derived during the process I hd mentioned earlier,” he added.
With regards to the party’s collaboration with the present government, Zahid who is also the Member of Parliament for Bagan Datuk said the party decision is clear that all BN MPs support Perikatan Nasional although it never became a component not an associate pact.
Similarly, he said Umno has its own political pact in Muafakat Nasional complete with its charter and the latest decision to register it.
“There is a charter, there is a memorandum of understanding which was inked. Surely the hope is not only with members but the whole ummah.
“We have made a decision that Umno and Pas will not collide in the general election, using our own logos while the machinery at divisional, Parliament and State level must combined as what was evidence in the last seven by-elections, where BN’s victory was achieved under Muafakat Nasional bandwagon,” he said.
