Rejecting PKR, DAP just an election strategy, says Zahid

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said the party's rejection of cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH) as well as Bersatu was only an election campaign strategy.

"The rejection of any cooperation with PKR, DAP and Bersatu was to face the 15th general election and not for post-election.

"Secondly, this collaboration is based on the instruction of the Agong who wants a unity government to be formed," he said in a Facebook post.

Zahid, who faced pressure to quit as Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman over the coalition's poor performance in the recent polls, led efforts to boost the numbers needed by Anwar Ibrahim to form the government, committing BN's 30 MPs in support of the PH leader. 

Umno, which had long clung to its "No Anwar, no DAP" stand, also agreed to cut ties with Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN) at its general assembly last year. 

It said in the wake of the Nov 19 election that it would support the king's proposal for a unity government but not one led by PN. 

PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin had repeatedly said before the election that Anwar and Zahid would join hands to form a coalition government in the event that Umno lacked the support needed to rule alone. 

"Zahid himself has said that he is ready to form an alliance with any party that works with Umno.

"But he rejected Bersatu at the Umno general assembly. Since he has done so, who is he likely to choose? PH?" he said at a ceramah on Nov 11.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Pejuang chairman, had previously said the same about cooperation between Anwar and Zahid.