00:00So, what did UMNO Annual General Assembly tell us about the party's direction forward?
00:05And will there be an early general election?
00:07Fresh off the party's success at the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls,
00:12UMNO delegates have increasingly called for GE16 to come sooner.
00:16UMNO Deputy President, Datuk Seri Muhammad Hassan even warned that if the party waits
00:21until the end of the unity government's term, UMNO itself could be finished.
00:26Party President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi then challenged critics to dissolve parliament
00:32and seek a fresh mandate.
00:35The delegate's response? Bubar.
00:38He also took a swipe at the unity government saying enough is enough guru,
00:43a veil jab at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
00:46He said the government did not listen enough to the concern of the people
00:51pointing to issues including fuel subsidies, taxation and the economy.
00:56Reintroducing the GST was another big priority if UMNO returned to head the federal government.
01:02Despite all this, UMNO Secretary General, Datuk Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party would not
01:08bring down the unity government before GE16.
01:12That brings us to the next point.
01:14Will UMNO officially be working with PAS for GE16?
01:17Both parties have been here before.
01:20In 2019, they formed Muafakat National before their relationship soured as PAS moved closer to Bersatu
01:28and joined Perikatan National.
01:31Now, PAS is back in the picture with leaders from parties also attending each other's event.
01:37UMNO delegates are also calling for cooperation with PAS rather than Perikatan as a whole.
01:43But could the Islamist party make room for UMNO in the SG-4 states of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu
01:51where it dominates?
01:52Another lingering question is if Datuk Seri Najib Razak's successful bid for house arrest
01:58will further boost UMNO's appeal moving forward.
02:02Despite all of this, party leaders are strengthening one thing.
02:06The party still needs to rebuild itself.
02:09With GE16 calls getting louder, the political landscape could be ever-changing again.
02:16And for UMNO, the next chapter could be who the party chooses to face GE16 together with.
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