A former Umno leader has accused Barisan Nasional of remaining in the unity government while forging ties with Perikatan Nasional, claiming the Umno-led coalition is positioning itself to continue ‘backstabbing’ its partners.
Puad Zarkashi dismissed Umno Supreme Council member Ahmad Maslan’s claim that BN had not withdrawn support for the federal government in the interest of political stability, describing the argument as hypocritical.
‘If BN wants stability, then why partner with PN in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections? There were too many attacks on the federal government on the campaign trail during both state polls,’ he said in a Facebook post.
Questions over BN’s election strategy
Puad said the apparent warmth between BN and Pakatan Harapan leaders in the Cabinet was merely a ‘Hollywood act’.
He claimed BN would continue to ‘backstab’ its partners in the Melaka state election and later in the 16th general election.
‘One reason they do not want to ‘pull the plug’ is because, without power, it is difficult to execute an effective backstab,’ said the former Rengit assemblyman, who quit Umno in June.
Ahmad defends BN’s ties with PN
Puad’s remarks came after Ahmad defended BN’s state election pacts with PN, arguing that tactical moves aimed at maximising election chances should not be regarded as a betrayal.
The deputy works minister reiterated that the agreement between BN and PH in the unity government was limited to the federal level.
He said there were no binding agreements governing political arrangements at the state level.
