Zahid takes swipe at Anwar, says Umno can do better than ‘guru’

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi criticized Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur, suggesting his party could perform better than Anwar, whom he referred to as “guru.” Zahid, who also serves as Barisan Nasional chairman and deputy prime minister, urged Anwar to heed the voices of the people. He addressed perceived policy uncertainties, particularly regarding taxation, and emphasized that his remarks were not intended to provoke or undermine anyone.

Zahid stressed the importance of not creating anxiety or confusion, stating, "We do not want to create anxiety or unease, let alone endless confusion."

He also cautioned against using enforcement agencies as political tools, warning against the detention of senior Umno leaders, and emphasized the need for fair treatment of all individuals. Additionally, Zahid called for the 16th general election to be held sooner, expressing readiness to seek a fresh mandate. He proposed a "grand collaboration" between Umno, BN, and other political parties based on mutual understanding, aiming to prevent electoral clashes that would not benefit either side.

Zahid reiterated Umno's goal of returning BN to federal power and implementing what he termed the “Malaysia Blue Agenda” before the country's centenary of independence, focusing on wealth creation, human capital rebuilding, ownership expansion, welfare safeguarding, crisis preparedness, people care, trust rebuilding, and national interest protection.