Warisan won’t work with Umno, says Darell Leiking

(FMT) – Darell Leiking said Warisan will never join forces with Umno, following a claim that many of the peninsula-based party’s MPs and those from Barisan Nasional were backing Anwar Ibrahim to form a new government.

“There is a possibility of Umno looking for a new ally, but for Warisan, we will never work with them,” the Warisan deputy president said at a ceramah in Inanam tonight.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was yesterday reported as saying that he had received information that many party members and BN MPs had voiced their support for the PKR president and that he respected their decision.

“Umno and BN are not able to stop MPs supporting Anwar from meeting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to make known his intention,” he was quoted as saying.

Zahid’s statement came on the heels of Anwar’s announcement he had the majority support to form a new government, adding that the majority were Malay-Muslim MPs.

Anwar also said the king had consented to grant him an audience, though this had to be postponed after the king was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Monday.

Leaders from Perikatan Nasional component parties have since come out to back Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, while the prime minister has challenged Anwar to prove his claim.

Separately, Leiking also said Umno had, during its 20-year rule in Sabah, created a schism among the various communities in the state.

The former federal minister added that compared with Warisan Plus, that was championing unity, Umno will continue to create divisions among the people if it was allowed to helm the state again.