KUALA LUMPUR: Umno supreme council member Isham Jalil has stood firm in his stance to not attend any meetings carried out by the party as long as it continues to work with DAP.
The former party information chief's response came after Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi challenged the former to attend the supreme council meeting tonight to air his grouses on Umno's cooperation with DAP.
Isham said as a second-term member of the supreme council, he could predict the decision that would be led by Zahid during tonight's meeting.
"I have previously stated that I will remain steadfast in my stance to protest. As long as he decides to go into elections with DAP, I will protest and not attend meetings chaired and vetoed by him.
"This is my second term as a supreme council member and I can already predict what he will do in the meeting.
"Why should I follow his orders and show my face at his turf?" he said in a statement today.
Isham said if Zahid was "sincere and bold enough" as a president, the latter could fulfil a challenge to debate with him on a neutral platform.
He hoped that Zahid would accept reality and not be in denial of Umno being rejected by the Malays following its collaboration with DAP after the 15th General Election.
"If the situation persists, Umno will perish in a few years time. Umno is a sacred party that has fought for the Malays in Malaysia all this while. Let's not destroy the party for selfish reasons.
"(And) I will also resign if you (Zahid) resign, (and) while there is still time, let's sacrifice together to save this party."
Yesterday, Isham claimed that Umno was still being rejected by the Malays because the party, which should be advocating for the Malays and Islam, had deviated and is now willing to become a "lackey of DAP".
He was commenting on the results of the Kemaman by-election on Saturday, where Pas, through its candidate Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, retained the parliamentary seat with a majority of 37,220 votes, defeating BN candidate Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.
