BARISAN Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wished the coalition, which celebrated its golden jubilee on Saturday (June 1), a happy 50th anniversary.

“I would like to congratulate BN on its 50th anniversary and we should not look back but keep moving forward.

“Let us restore the glory of BN in the Malaysian political arena together, as conceived by former Umno president, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein 50 years ago,” he said in Beijing.

The Umno president said this to reporters during a visit to the Dongsi Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Beijing which is 700 years old here, yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid is on an official visit to China, his first since assuming the role of Deputy Prime Minister in December 2022. The 11-day visit, which concluded today, was at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Ding Xuexiang.

Barisan consists of Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).

The coalition was formed by Abdul Razak on June 1, 1974, when he became prime minister and president of Umno that year.

Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who is also in China, said Barisan cannot continue to be nostalgic on successes of the past, instead, needs to face changes in the country’s political landscape in a broader framework.

He also hoped that the enthusiasm that Tun Abdul Razak initiated in 1974 would be retranslated for Barisan to face the next decade with an injection of enthusiasm and a new face.

“Similar to Malaysia-China diplomatic relations (initiated by Abdul Razak), BN was initiated by Abdul Razak to face the changing political landscape following the emergence of various political parties with different ideologies, at that time.

“He initiated BN to ensure stability as an important basis for developing the country. Currently, we are facing a new political reality which requires BN to work with a new face and approach,” he said. – Bernama