KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Sin Chew Daily) – Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his party had decided not to join Perikatan Nasional.

Instead, Umno would strengthen the "Muafakat Nasional" alliance with PAS and other Barisan Nasional component parties.

He also said prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had expressed his wish for PPBM to join Muafakat Nasional, when the latter met with BN elected representatives at the Parliament House yesterday.

"We will discuss with PAS whether to allow Muhyiddin's PPBM to join us."

Ahmad Zahid said in a statement that at this juncture BN parliamentarians and state assemblymen would continue to support PN federal and state governments to keep the administrations intact.