SHAH ALAM - The Umno top leadership, particularly its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi must use the 2024 Umno General Assembly to revoke or nullify the 'No DAP, No Anwar' resolution made during the 2022 assembly.
This move was necessary because Umno has now formed a political partnership with its former political rivals DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) within the unity government in Putrajaya.
Additionally, Umno also backed the appointment of PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister after the party suffered a significant defeat in the 15th General Election (GE15), while Zahid was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar believed that Umno must revoke the resolution as the party was now part of the coalition government in Putrajaya.
He said that failure to do so has caused many grassroots members to feel uneasy because the 'political marriage' between Umno, DAP, Pakatan Harapan and Anwar contradicted the resolution made during the 2022 PAU.
Hisommudin said that during the 2022 PAU and ahead of GE15, one of the resolutions unanimously agreed upon in Dewan Merdeka was 'No DAP, No Anwar and No Bersatu.'
"The decision to join the unity government led by the Tambun Member of Parliament and the PKR President was only made during meetings of the Supreme Council and Political Bureau, chaired by Zahid.
"So now, Umno needs to use the 2024 Umno General Assembly to resolve the resolution made during the 2022 assembly so that the grassroots feel more comfortable facing the PN campaign, which labels the unity government in Putrajaya as the 'UMDAP' government (a coalition of Umno and DAP)," he said.
Hisommudin added if the resolution was not revoked, it meant that Umno's participation in the unity government was against party principles, causing Umno members to feel conflicted.
He said that some members still struggle to accept the reality that Umno is now closely working with its former enemies after the formation of the unity government nearly two years ago.
"This situation makes it difficult for them to respond to attacks from PN at the grassroots level, where they claim that Umno once said 'No DAP and No Anwar,' but now Umno is aligned and in bed with DAP, PH and Anwar, which contradicts the previous decision.
"These attacks have left grassroots Umno members feeling 'depressed' and finding it hard to boldly counter the accusations and narratives pushed by the opposition, especially PN, such as the use of the term 'UMDAP' during the state and by-election campaigns," he added.
Additionally, Hisommudin suggested that this year's assembly should also address the seriousness of Umno's efforts to expedite the release of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from prison, as it remained a key narrative of Umno's current President.
He stressed that this was necessary as Najib's release was the hope of the majority of party members, who still strongly support the former Umno President.
"In fact, if we look at Najib's significant contribution, it includes driving BN's victory in Johor, including in the Mahkota State Assembly seat, which is set for a by-election soon following the death of its incumbent Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain on August 2," he said.
For the record, during the 2022 Johor state election, Sharifah Azizah won with a majority of 5,166 votes, defeating an Amanah candidate.
Hisommudin pointed out that Umno would face pressure due to Najib's absence in this by-election.
"If Umno does not emphasise Najib's release during this assembly, it will impact Umno's chances of retaining the Mahkota seat.
"I foresee BN's votes from Umno members declining if they fail to convince core supporters about the cooperation with PH, DAP, and Anwar, as well as Najib's release," he said.