SHAH ALAM - Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s speech at the 2026 Umno General Assembly on Friday was akin to a bold declaration of a political war, says Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.
Fadhli said he had drawn several important conclusions from Zahid’s speech, titled "Melakar Masa Depan Bangsa" (Charting the Future of the Nation).
He said the most striking part was when Zahid said "cukuplah guru, berhentilah" (enough, teacher, stop already).
“There is no need to hide who the remark was directed at. I heard the speech as a declaration of political war.
“On the issue of betrayal of a political agreement, Zahid said what was promised was the formation of a ‘National Unity Government’, but what was eventually formed was the ‘Madani Government.’
“Zahid also clearly took a swipe at the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government when he said we are not a government that promises ‘win today, all problems solved tomorrow’,” he said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Earlier, Umno agreed to invite Pas’ top leadership to attend the gathering which is being held from Sept 9 to 12, in reciprocation of Pas’ invitation to Umno leaders.
Umno and Pas had previously formed an official political alliance through Muafakat Nasional (MN), which was established in 2019.
Fadhli added that the timing of Zahid’s speech was also symbolic as it fell exactly 25 years after the World Trade Center (WTC) attack in the United States on Sept 11, 2001.
He said the difference was that the WTC in New York was the scene of a physical attack 25 years ago.
“Today, the WTC Kuala Lumpur is the stage for a political attack.
“Who is this war being declared against? That will be interesting to watch from now on, although everyone can already guess,” he said.
Fadhli also thanked Umno for the invitation and warm reception extended to Pas.
"Attending the Umno General Assembly for the first time this morning was a valuable chance to witness what I would call a historic event," he said.