No party can win GE on its own, cooperation is needed, says Ahmad Faizal

 

Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu. -filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: No political party can win the general election on its own, especially if they are disunited, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia deputy president said the current political scenario has left the electorate frustrated and exhausted.

He said the people are looking for political stability amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

He called on all parties to remain focused to alleviate the people's problem during the pandemic instead of too much politicking.

"Perikatan Nasional is a coalition that can and will bring much-needed stability.

"The logic in being united as a coalition is simple - winning an election always comes down to simple mathematics, and the more united Perikatan is, the stronger the winning equation," he said in an interview organised by the party's information bureau.

His remarks came amid discontent among some Umno grassroots leaders who are asking to sever ties with Bersatu.

Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also said that Umno wanted a snap election and returned the mandate to the rakyat despite the pandemic.

Umno had also mentioned that it would contest in all of its traditional seats won in the 14th General Election.

Asked on Umno's rejection to cooperate with Bersatu, the Tambun MP reiterated that it was up to Umno to decide on such matters.

"We must always think whether any political party can form a government on its own," he said.

On the seat allocation for the upcoming general election, Faizal said that he would be conducting a nationwide tour of Bersatu divisions to assess and touch base with as many members as possible on the ground.

"It will be interesting to conduct such a tour as we are currently in the new norm.

"It will also be a good practice especially as the general election itself will most probably be administered with new procedures," he added.

To avoid overlapping seats, Faizal said "all strategies must boil down to honest negotiations and who can serve the people the best.

"The recent Sabah elections served as a good indicator of the machinery's working capacity.

"Overall, I feel we are making good progress and chances of winning the right seats are there as long as the party members serve the interest of the electorate consistently," he said.

Analysts have pointed that there will likely be multi-cornered fights in Malay-majority seats such as in Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu if seat negotiations are not settled between coalition partners.

"There is no point of arguing for the 222 parliamentary seats if we are unable to deliver unity and stability needed to govern," said the former Perak mentri besar.

Asked to comment on the relations between Umno and Bersatu, he said although Umno's historical contribution to the country cannot be understated, there must be a synergy between the two Malay-based parties.

"The synergy between Bersatu and Umno has much potential. There is much discussion and talks between the parties but I would not define it as pressure in any sense.

"In politics, it is normal for us to try and keep our party's interest as paramount, but our attention should be focused on alleviating the burden of the rakyat first," he said.

Pressed to reveal the number of parliamentary seats Bersatu is planning to contest, he said that it is not about the number of seats.

"Of course every party will want to contest every seat but politicians have to be realistic.

"However, the reality on the ground is that no one party can stand alone because our demography is mixed and dynamic where there is no one solution for everything," he said. - sTAR