Talks with Umno only to develop Malacca, not form new gov't - Rafiq

Malacca Bersatu deputy chief Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen said that any recent meetings he has had with state Umno representatives have nothing to do with forming a new state government.

Instead, the Malacca state executive council (exco) member said they met in the spirit of co-operation for the betterment of the state, in the wake of the Malay Dignity Congress earlier this month.

"The congress opened the way for political parties of different ideologies to sit together for the sake of race, religion, and country.

"If a leader from a government party is seen sitting and engaging with opposition members, it should not be seen as an attempt to form a new government, that is an outdated narrow way of thinking," Rafiq told Malaysiakini.

He added that after an election, both the government and opposition should "find common ground and work to develop the state and country".

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had attended the Malay Dignity Congress in Shah Alam on Oct 6, along with opposition leaders such as PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, and Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa.

Rafiq was responding to Umno sources who claimed that he had met with Malacca Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh and a few other party assemblypersons recently.

A larger meeting with all Umno assemblypersons was allegedly planned, but scuttled after Rafiq met Rauf first.

Rauf responded curtly when contacted, saying: "Ask your sources if it is real."

When asked if he was denying that the meeting with Rauf had taken place, he replied: "Ask your sources, where did we meet. I don't know how they can say that I met him. I don't know, I don't know."

Assemblyperson Ghazale Muhamad (BN-Rim), who had attended the meeting, shared more details about what had taken place.

"We just talked about the possibility of a state-level Malay congress, as we had already met at the national level so why not at the state," he said.

He denied there had been any talk about forming a new government.

"No there wasn't. I know Rafiq, he was under my wing before. He has his stand and we have ours,... and our position is that whatever the people decided on in the last election, stands," he said.

Rafiq clarified that he was not planning to organise a congress himself, but only discussed that if there were such a programme organised by a third party, there should not be any obstacles for either side to attend.

"The old way of politics which encourage extreme enmity among parties, government and opposition, should stop," he said.

Previously sources alleged that Rafiq and fellow Bersatu leader Noor Effandi Ahmad were working to destablise the Malacca government and oust Chief Minister Adly Zahari.

When contacted, Rafiq denied the allegation. Both Rafiz and Effandi signed a joint statement by all Pakatan Harapan state assemblypersons pledging support for Adly.

Currently, Harapan has a simple majority to form the Malacca government by virtue of holding 15 seats in the 28-seat assembly.

A single defection from Harapan could result in a hung assembly.