‘PH is not two-faced’

KUALA LUMPUR - Pakatan Harapan (PH) is not being hypocritical causing Barisan Nasional (BN) to make a decision of forming a unity government with it.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the party made the decision based on the most suitable option to allow them to manage the differences.

“The next question was the cooperation with DAP. Despite Umno’s previous stance, it must be based on the reality in politics. It must be adapted through the current needs and dynamics.

“We know their principle. They understand ours. We are not two-faced and we don’t need to pretend to be friends.

“We know who DAP is, we also know who Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Amanah Negara are,” he said at the opening of the Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings general assembly at the World Trade Centre (WTC) on Wednesday.

He added that if Umno had wanted to work with Perikatan Nasional (PN), the party would become a third player which shared similar demographic interests.

He explained that it would be complicated for Umno to manage the differences in the future.

“What is certain is that our decision to cooperate with PH made Umno the biggest political party that represented the Malay's interests in the government.

“This is something that Umno could not achieve if it joined a government under PN’s leadership because Umno would be in the third position as a party representing the Malays in such cooperation,” he said.

He said BN did not join PH.

“This must be clear and understood. Umno is an ally in the unity government, not a component party of PH,” he said.