Word has been going around that Umno leaders, including its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, have met with Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad to discuss an Umno-Bersatu merger, claims veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin.

"Apparently, they (Umno leaders) are no longer talking about Umno but about Pekembar... which is the short form of Umno's Malay name.

"Word is, they want to explore the possibility of combining Pekembar with Bersatu to form Pekembar Bersatu. Through that, they hope to become part of the Pakatan Harapan government.

"That is the story I have heard. It makes sense. But will Bersatu, which is already part of Harapan, want or can combine with Umno/Pekembar," Kadir wrote in his personal capacity on his blog today.

Kadir, who is also the special adviser on media affairs to the prime minister and a Bersatu supreme council member, said the party is aware of Umno's tricks, and mused that this might be a way for Umno to split Harapan in the hope of returning to power.

He said, however, that Bersatu's stand on this is clear. 

According to Kadir, Umno members are welcome to join Bersatu but they must join individually as regular members, and if they want to reach leadership positions, they must do so within the party's framework.

They cannot, he said, join as a whole division or branch.

"The majority of Umno members are welcome, but of course there are some who will not be accepted because they have a bad image or because they do things that are against the law," Kadir said.

'Powerless Umno'

After four months of being the opposition, Kadir said Umno finds that it cannot bear its situation as it has become too used to power and money.

"Without power and money, Umno is finding it hard to live."

Umno's cooperation with PAS also seems to be not enough, as PAS is also without cash and power, he said.

Kadir said Umno is in this position now because former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak did not step down before the 14th general election.

"This is the way Allah saved our country Malaysia... not by opening Najib's heart to stepping down and also not by giving courage to the various Umno leaders to ask (Najib) to step down."

Now that Mahathir is the prime minister and he has met with the police, the MACC and the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC), Kadir said more Najib-era Umno leaders will be brought to face justice.

"Those who are clean or have not committed too grave a crime could be accepted into Bersatu, or as a Harapan ally in Parliament and the state assemblies.

"Their entry (into Harapan) whether directly or as allies can help the Harapan government expose and overcome all sorts of scandals and damage caused by the (previous) BN government," he said.