Umno's annual general assembly endorsed yesterday its leadership's decision to part ways with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia at upcoming polls that are now further shrouded in uncertainty.
The final resolution of a dispute that has fractured Malaysia's largest party since forming government with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition a year ago means at least three main blocs will vie for most of the 222 parliamentary wards at stake.
The Premier has promised to dissolve Parliament once an emergency to tackle Covid-19 is lifted by August, but will now have to fend off not just opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan (PH), but also the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN).
"The delegates have given the mandate to the president and supreme council to withdraw support for the PN government... if there is no indication of an immediate election," Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said when closing the meeting.
Zahid raises prospect of 'political reset' after next election
"There shouldn't be any claims of Umno being at a crossroad, we've made a clear decision (to sever ties with Bersatu)," the party president told a press conference after the congress.
The move to leave PN - which also includes Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) - has been criticised by those who want to keep all three main parties that represent the Malay majority in power together.
But Zahid accused detractors of undermining the party's efforts to regain dominance of Malaysian politics.
"BN must be prepared to contest alone," he said in his policy speech. "Umno will not be influenced by the cluster of usurpers... trying to damage the party."
The former deputy premier - whose faction includes several top Umno leaders who like him are facing hundreds of graft charges - also rejected the assertion that he plans to ally Umno with PH despite Datuk Seri Anwar claiming a fortnight ago that preliminary talks had begun.
"I want to make our stance clear, which is no Bersatu, no Anwar, no DAP!" he said, referring to the Democratic Action Party which Umno accuses of masterminding an agenda to dismantle Malay Muslim privileges.
However, he raised the prospect of a "political reset" after the 15th general election (GE15) to resolve the political instability that has engulfed the country since Umno lost its six-decade grip on power at the 2018 election.
"Although no negotiation has taken place with any party yet... Umno is very open to do so after GE15. First, Umno must be dominant, to be relevant," he said.
However, Umno must "choose the right, sincere and honest partners in forming the next government", he said, while PAS counterpart Hadi Awang sat on stage as an invited guest.
Umno has accused PAS of contravening their Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact inked in 2019 to further Malay Muslim interests, by unilaterally signing up as a member of the PN coalition.
The Islamist party insists that both PN and MN can line up together against PH at the polls.
But several state chairmen, when debating the president's address, stressed the importance of ensuring the MN cooperation which has delivered a string of by-election victories is maintained.
Selangor chief Noh Omar said in his state "we cannot have a three-cornered fight. If it is BN-PN-PH, I am worried PH will win. I hope the president can give his blessing for us to pursue a way to avoid this."
