UMNO-Bersatu ties expected to be main focus of UMNO MT meeting tonight

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6  -- Questions on UMNO's stand regarding the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and ties with Bersatu are expected to be the main focus of the UMNO Supreme Council (MT) meeting tonight, which will be chaired by its president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The MT meeting scheduled for 8.30 pm at Menara Dato Onn, Putra World Trade Centre here will follow UMNO's Political Bureau meeting that will be held at the same venue at 3 pm where all state liaison chiefs are expected to be present.

The MT meeting is expected to touch a lot on motions  by the grassroots, following a closed-door dialogue between Ahmad Zahid and UMNO division heads at PWTC yesterday.

The main things expected to be given attention include talk that UMNO will pull out of the government led by Bersatu by asking its members of Parliament to withdraw support to the PN government.

 UMNO information chief  Shahril Hamdan in a statement last night had confirmed that the MT would discuss all possibilities at the meeting.

He was quoted as saying that the MT would also discuss and consider each and every angle before stating UMNO's official stand on members' sentiments calling for rejection of cooperation with Bersatu. 

"As announced by the UMNO secretary-general, more than 140 (UMNO) divisions (out of 191 divisions) have moved motions calling of rejection of cooperation with Bersatu," he said.

Last month, conflict between the two parties broke out in the open which saw Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu resign as the Menteri Besar of Perak, before Perak UMNO chief Datuk Saarani Mohamad took over the post.

Yesterday, Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who is also Federal Territories Minister, was sacked as Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general and UMNO's representative in the Muafakat Nasional (MN) secretariat and was replaced by UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

BN is led by UMNO with the other component parties being MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) while MN is a partnership between UMNO and PAS, which is also part of the PN government.

-- BERNAMA