Zahid, who is also a deputy prime minister, said Umno will negotiate with other parties within the coalition government to contest the seats in GE16.
“I am confident we can cover the tier II seats. The seats we have won and continue to hold are considered tier I.
“Tier II seats refer to those that we lost but were second in the running. We will negotiate with the other parties to reclaim them,” he said in a Buletin TV3 podcast today.
Zahid also expressed hope that the current coalition government will form the next one after GE16 and to have Anwar Ibrahim remain as the prime minister for another term.
“When the economy is down and the exchange rate is low, (changing prime ministers) is not good for the people.
“Anwar has to be supported by not only the 18 parties within the government, but also by other parties,” he said.
Zahid said the priority is to have political stability, eradicate extreme poverty, and ensure the people could put food on the table and have access to a better education system.
Umno won 26 parliamentary seats in the previous general election, while its allies in Barisan Nasional won four.
Leaving it to God’s will
Zahid said he will “leave it to God’s will” when asked about his plans to step down as Umno president to make way for new leaders in the future.
“My religious teacher once said that everyone knows their birth date, but nobody knows exactly when they will die. The same applies to politics, we never know when our time will end.
“Speculating about what will happen in the next 10 years is futile. I believe it’s best to leave it to God’s will,” he said.
However, he said Umno remains committed to nurturing new talent for future leadership.
“Umno’s school of politics isn’t the only path. There are many other avenues. In the Supreme Council, 50% are new faces, 30% of the Wanita wing are new leaders, while 85% of the Youth and 97% of Puteri Umno are fresh faces.
“This is part of the regeneration process for political leadership. We cannot run away from the need to groom new leaders.
“There must be good communication between the old and new leaders. The new must be embraced, while the old must be respected,” he said.