GE15: Umno keeps axing those trying to improve the party, says Hadi

Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang lamented that Umno is an unworthy ally for Perikatan Nasional (PN) since it keeps axing those trying to improve the party.

(NST) – Hadi, who is also PN deputy chairman said it was disheartening that leaders who were committed to clean up the party from corruption had been axed.

“Umno is tainted by corruption, yet there are some clean and good leaders in the party.

“Unfortunately, those who wanted to make changes in the party had been sidelined.

“Those who disagreed with the Umno and BN leadership would be axed, those who are doing good things would be axed as well, so how can we befriend them?” Hadi said during his speech at a dinner with Pokok Sena Pas leaders here last night.

He added that Pas could not work alongside Pakatan Harapan (PH), claiming that the coalition had too many values that were unacceptable for the Islamist party.

“We cannot work together, we have worked with Pakatan Rakyat in the past, and many things went wrong, we cannot accept that.

“Suddenly in the 14th General Election, PH won. But it won by offering false promises to combat corruption, to lower fuel prices within 24 hours after coming into power and to abolish expressway tolls and PTPTN (higher education loan).

“The young people supported PH because they were misled by the promises.

“Then they prosecuted corrupted leaders, but it was a selected prosecution against Umno leaders while PH leaders who were prosecuted earlier had their trials halted. That was unfair,” added Hadi.

Hence, he urged voters to give PN a chance in the 15th General Election (GE15).

Hadi said should PN fail to fulfil its promises, voters could vote another coalition in the next general election.

“We have seen BN rule for half a century and for 60 years we have seen what happened.

“Then we have seen Pakatan Harapan government ruling for two years and there were problems in the government.

“We have seen PN ruled the country without any problem.

“Give us a chance just for one term, if we fail to get things right, then they may vote us out,” he said.

Hadi claimed that Perikatan Nasional should be given the chance as the federal government had successfully managed the Covid-19 pandemic and economic crises.