Zahid: Umno, PAS are the biggest Malay parties not Bersatu

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has shut the door on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's invitation for his party to join Bersatu, pointing out that Umno and PAS are the largest Malay parties in the country.

"The Malays do not have to go to PPBM (Bersatu). The biggest Malay party is Umno and PAS.

"The joint agenda for Umno -PAS is far more important for the unification of the ummah (faithful) and beyond political interests," Ahmad Zahid wrote in a Facebook post today.

Ahmad Zahid's statement was in response to Dr Mahathir Mohamad invitation to all Malay parties, including Umno, to join Bersatu in efforts to unite the Malays.

Meanwhile, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan claimed that the split and diminishing influence of Malay politics began when Mahathir set up Bersatu.

"It's even more annoying when Bersatu united in political cooperation with DAP to defeat Umno," he said, also in a Facebook post.

He claimed the Malays began to realise that Bersatu could not ensure their voices were heard when the Pakatan Harapan government was formed.

"Umno and its members will not join Bersatu forever. Umno is the largest political party of the Malays. And it has been for seven decades the true voice of the Malays, said Mohamad Hasan.

He echoed Zahid's call for Umno to continue its development and strengthen political cooperation with PAS as the most strategic move for Umno.

"Umno and PAS will form a Malay political power that has never been seen before. It will be a tsunami that will not only swallow Bersatu but also Pakatan Harapan," he said.