Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has revealed that he had a second meeting with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently.

He told this to several newspapers in an interview published today.

His first meeting with Mahathir took place on June 7, a month after the fall of the BN government. The second meeting involved Zahid and several of his Umno colleagues.

Zahid has been endorsed by BN MPs to explore pacts with other parties with the purpose of returning to government.

The former deputy prime minister said the meeting was initiated because Umno grassroots wanted him to take action, including communicating the party's desire to govern once again.

“Umno is free to talk to anyone, including those who have never been part of BN, those who were once with BN or those who are no longer with BN.

“Thus far, there is no decision on whether we will cooperate in the near term or in the future. We have to take into account political considerations because we don’t want to be the opposition.

“All political opportunities must be evaluated. Politics is dynamic. Doors are always open. In politics, nothing is impossible,” he said.

Zahid, however, said he has not met PM-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim since the May 9 election.

“Anwar is scared of me because I’m now in the opposition,” he added.

In the 1990s, Zahid was known as an Anwar loyalist, having spoken out against the latter’s sacking as deputy prime minister and deputy Umno president in 1998.

Zahid was briefly part of the opposition and spent a short stint in jail under the Internal Security Act 1960.

Eventually, he shifted back into Umno which was controlled by Mahathir at the time.

Zahid said he was aware that there were overtures being made to Umno MPs but was short on details.

“I don’t know there’s a plan to engineer the defection of 16 Umno MPs, but I know a mediator is meeting them and promised to compel a group of Umno MPs to become independents,” he said.

RELATED REPORTS

Umno members 'ready for change', says Khairy

Umno hopes to form 'unity government' with 'any' Harapan party

'PD Move' boycott puts spotlight on Umno-PKR 'ties', says don

Najib defends Umno-PAS pact, says give Zahid time

No cooperation with Umno now, Anwar says, but leaves future open