by AZREEN HANI / pic by BERNAMA

UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (picture) has hinted on the possibility of a cooperation review, a day after he reportedly said the party will make a major decision on its direction following the conviction of Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak.

“To share life, let alone to share power, sincerity and honesty are the main principles.

“When sincerity and honesty are set aside, any partnership should be re-evaluated,” Ahmad Zahid said on his Facebook page yesterday.

On Tuesday, the Bagan Datuk MP told reporters outside the courthouse that Umno will “do something” to decide the direction of the current government.

He, however, did not comment further on his remarks.

Former Umno Supreme Council Datuk Lokman Noor Adam also challenged the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to dissolve the Parliament and hold an early general election following the court’s verdict on Tuesday.

He also called for Umno and Barisan Nasional MPs to “do something and act on it”.

Prime Minister (PM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement on the same day that he understood the feelings and sentiments of his friends in the PN administration regarding the court’s verdict, but stressed that it will continue to uphold the rule of law.

“We respect the court’s decision and urge everyone to keep trusting the nation’s judiciary and legal system as an independent and neutral institution,” Muhyiddin said.

Analysts told The Malaysian Reserve that the future of Umno will depend on how it will move ahead beyond the shadow of Najib’s leadership.

Political analysts are of the opinion that the High Court’s conviction against Najib could have a negative impact on Umno’s image should it continue to associate itself with the country’s sixth PM.

Meanwhile, Rembau MP and former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar had called for the party to move on and rejuvenate itself.

“Although everyone has the right to support Najib, I hope Umno will not be dragged along in the case,” he wrote on his blog, adding that it is time for the party to rebuild and see a leadership transition.

Another party leader, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also expressed his belief that the verdict against Najib will change the dynamics of Umno.

“My advice for everyone is to keep calm and not make any rash decisions based on emotions,” he said in a statement.

Separately, a 42-year-old man from Perak had lodged a police report against one of Najib’s supporters for attempting to dispute the judgement against Najib, by accusing Judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali as being related to former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Twitter.

Dr Mahathir’s son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir had also called for the Attorney’s General Chambers to investigate these claims, which he dismissed as “baseless”.