Umno will remain a centrist and moderate party for all Malaysians and will not be pushed towards either the political left or right, its deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.
Speaking at the opening of the Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri general assemblies in Kuala Lumpur, Mohamad said the party must ensure Malaysia remained a country for all, in line with the Federal Constitution.
He reminded party members not to assume that Umno’s constituents were only Malays, saying its actions and conduct must not create concern among non-Malays or communities in Sabah and Sarawak.
Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, said the support of non-Malays and political parties from Sabah and Sarawak was important to forming a government amid Malaysia’s increasingly unpredictable political landscape.
“They have now become the deciding forces. The time when we regarded them as fixed deposits is a thing of the past,” he said.
He said Umno’s ideology was rooted in centrism and that the party would continue to take the middle ground by balancing ideas from both sides.
“Our ideology is centrism. I repeat: Umno will always take the middle path. We will not lean to the left or right,” he said.
Mohamad also issued a warning to parties seeking to work with Umno, saying they must accept its moderate and centrist approach instead of attempting to impose conservative or radical ideologies on the party.
“For decades, we have managed and governed the country with moderate attitudes, policies, positions and priorities. Therefore, anyone who wishes to cooperate with Umno must accept Umno’s moderate, middle-ground approach,” he said.
He also assured non-Malays and non-Muslim Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak that Umno’s Malay political agenda would not be used to deny their rights or interests, saying the party’s pledge was for a fair and united Malaysia.
