We are no longer dominant, so, we have to win state polls no matter what - Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR - Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has finally expressed the sobering admission that Umno is no longer a dominant party following its worst electoral defeat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

And as such – the party president who managed to wriggle Umno back into Putrajaya by forging an ironic alliance with its political nemesis, Pakatan Harapan (PH) – reminded members to work their hardest and win the looming state polls.

“Whichever seats that are given to us, we must win. We lost GE14 and GE15, we have to wake up and correct our mistakes.

"I also told the delegates about several aspects of reality of the country’s politics in the Unity Government. That we are a part of it and that we are not dominant.

“This is what we have to admit,” Zahid told reporters after attending an awards ceremony organised by Wanita Umno at the party HQ at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre today.

Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan are expected to go to the polls this year because said states did not dissolve their respective legislative assemblies when GE15 was held last year.

The Bagan Datuk MP attributed Umno’s loss in GE15 as being caused by the party’s inability to foster solidarity among its ranks.

“We were busy serving the differences in our circles,” said Zahid who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, ahead of the upcoming party’s general meeting this Friday.

Tonight, the party will officiate the meeting of its Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings which was scheduled for tomorrow.

In GE15, Umno only won 26 parliamentary seats compared to the 54 that it won in GE14.

However, the party ultimately managed to form government with PH as GE15 ended in a hung parliament where not a single party had enough numbers to form government on their own.