Supporting PN to 'save' Umno not rational - Khaled

KUALA NERUS - The action of Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin urging Umno members to support PN if they love the future of the party, is considered irrational.

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said he was confident that Umno members will remain loyal to the party to continue its policies and struggles.

"He (Hamzah) jumped from Umno in the past claiming to save the party. During this campaign, I remember people said all sorts of things, some unreasonable and irrational.

"Especially when we join this (unity government) to ensure firstly the creation of a larger unity and secondly to ensure that Malaysia continues to practice moderation, where the country's people are multi-ethnic.

"We need to ensure whether we can further enhance our presence and contribution to have a greater impact only through cooperation and that no party can move solo or independently. Based on that, we urge the people to embrace moderation and avoid fanaticism and the like," he said.

He said this during a press conference held after the launching ceremony of the operation of the Sultan Zainal Abidin University Teaching Hospital here today.

Yesterday, Hamzah urged Umno members to support PN if they love the future of the party.

Hamzah said only by doing so, Umno's future can be changed and it can be accepted again by the people.

Commenting further, Khaled called on the people to embrace progress and modernisation while rejecting backwardness and poverty.

"We are aware that sentiments are used because there may be many problems, weaknesses and perhaps no policies.

"So, sentiment alone was the answer to garner support," he added.