KUALA LUMPUR: Umno is not rejecting Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to divide the Malay Muslim community but to prevent "great harm" from befalling the country, Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
He described claims that Umno was dividing the ummah by rejecting Bersatu, as slander, since the unity agenda has been championed by Umno for a long time.
Zahid said this was evident through Umno's cooperation with other political parties under the Barisan Nasional (BN) umbrella which consisted of Umno, MCA, MIC, PBRS and Friends of BN.
He said BN was the foundation that fostered stability and prosperity in Malaysia for decades.
"Umno refused to cooperate with Bersatu in order to avoid great harm (since) Bersatu is a party that was established with the aim of ending Umno and BN.
"What is the rationale of Umno being pressured and urged to work with the enemy within?
"This decision is not individualistic in nature, but rather it was reached together by the party leadership and grassroots members," he wrote on his Facebook today.
The Bagan Datuk member of Parliament said the division among the ummah began with the establishment of splinter parties throughout the years.
He said these parties include PKR, Bersatu, Parti Amanah Negara and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air.
"The leaders of those parties have even colluded with DAP, a party which they labelled as not being in line with the Malay community.
"They were willing to be used to divide the ummah in order to fulfil their personal interests and ambitions.
"Umno on the other hand had remained with BN in building a multi-racial coalition (and) had never divided the ummah or break the unity of the Malaysian nation."