Khairy says Anwar-Zahid trust at lowest point as UMNO turns away from PH

Former UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has stated that trust between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is at its lowest since the Unity Government's establishment. This decline is attributed to a growing divergence between Anwar's Pakatan Harapan and Zahid's Barisan Nasional, especially following BN's decision to collaborate with Perikatan Nasional in the Negeri Sembilan state election.

Khairy believes UMNO now sees its cooperation with PH as a temporary arrangement, rather than a long-term partnership. At UMNO's recent general assembly, UMNO members indicated they intended to remain in the Unity Government only until the next general election, after which they plan to compete against PH. This reflects a growing acceptance within UMNO that the party is "done" with the Unity Government and is ready to pursue a different political alignment post-election.

The political shift has also seen increased interactions between Anwar and Zahid, with Zahid calling for the next election to be held immediately and criticizing Anwar. Despite these tensions, Anwar maintains that his relationship with Zahid remains strong. The disagreements extend beyond administration, with UMNO positioning itself to contest the 2016 general election (GE16) against PH while exploring possible cooperation with parties like PN and PAS.