KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has reportedly backed Umno Youth’s controversial demand for enemy-turned-ally DAP to apologise to the party for its past attacks on them.
Seemingly contradicting the stance of his party president, the politician also known as Tok Mat said the proposal made by the wing was welcomed and would be a gracious move on DAP’s part.
“The proposal [by Umno Youth] is good. For me, if DAP is magnanimous, they can apologise to Umno. If they can apologise to [Gabungan Parti Sarawak; GPS], it would be even better if they apologise to Umno.
“We will work together in one government, and DAP must be magnanimous,” he was quoted by Malaysiakini telling reporters after attending the Umno Supreme Council meeting last night.
Yesterday, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh had demanded an apology from DAP for the latter’s purported past sins and biting remarks against the party. He then defended his stance during his closing speech at the Umno Youth general assembly yesterday.
In his speech, Dr Akmal had demanded DAP apologise to Umno purportedly for its past mistakes, and to prove its sincerity to the coalition government led by PKR’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which comprises Pakatan Harapan component parties and the Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi quickly dismissed the need for DAP to apologise as the matter does not need to be raised again by his party.
In November, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had offered an open apology to the Sarawak government and its people if they had ever been hurt by the party’s statements in a bid to build bridges and move forward towards the formation of the federal coalition government.
