Zahid Hamidi curious to see how Khairy opens up Umno to non-malays

(The Star0 – Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) says he would like to see how his rival for the Umno presidential post, Khairy Jamaluddin, will open up the party to non-Malays.

“I respect his stand and opinion. He may do it if he is elected as the new president of Umno.

“I would like to see if he can translate it into action or not,” he told a press conference at Menara Dato Onn here.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said Umno founder Datuk Onn Jaafar’s attempt to open up party membership to non-Malays did not go well.

While the senior party leaders back during Onn’s tenure were agreeable to the idea, other leaders and party members viewed it as too radical.

Onn eventually left Umno.

However, Dr Ahmad Zahid accepted the reality that the struggle of any political party cannot purely be race-based.

“Our country is multi-racial and although Umno is a party for Malays, we have to work with other parties so plurality is prioritised, without leaving out the interests of any race.

“I’m suggesting that the identity of each political party remains but the coalition has to be reformed so that all parties can come under one roof and work together to form a new government,” he said.

There are five candidates in the race for the Umno presidency, namely Dr Ahmad Zahid, Khairy, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Bandar Tun Razak committee member Mohamed Iqbal Maricair and Iskandar Puteri member Mohd Yusof Musa @ Jamaluddin.