Hold internal ballot on PM candidate, PN advised

 Analyst suggests that the PN Supreme Council choose from among six leaders: Samsuri, Muhyiddin, Hadi, Tuan Ibrahim, Radzi and Azmin.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin recently said Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar being PN chairman did not necessarily mean he was the coalition’s prime minister candidate, drawing a curt response from the PAS veep. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 A political analyst has suggested that Perikatan Nasional (PN) hold an internal ballot on its prime minister candidate to prevent the issue from descending into a public spat among component parties.

Ahmad Zaharuddin Sani Ahmad of Global Asia Consulting said the opposition coalition should present a united front ahead of the next general election (GE16).

He added that an internal vote would show collective discipline within PN in determining its proposed leadership for the country.

“If PN allows this squabble over the role to continue, it will only cause further internal fractures and tarnish PN’s credibility as an alternative bloc (to the government),” he told FMT.

Zaharuddin also suggested that the PN Supreme Council choose from among six candidates: PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin and Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali.

He said this would be subject to them winning their parliamentary seats.

The issue of PN’s prime minister candidate or poster boy for GE16 has been a point of contention among components, particularly Bersatu and PAS.

Last year, Bersatu’s general assembly named Muhyiddin as its prime minister candidate for the next nationwide polls. However, Hadi said PAS wanted PN’s candidate to be under 70 and physically healthy, an apparent snub of Muhyiddin, who is 78.

PAS has declined to name a prime minister candidate, although its youth wing floated the idea of Samsuri being nominated soon after his appointment as PN chairman.

Muhyiddin recently said Samsuri being PN chairman did not necessarily mean he was the coalition’s prime minister candidate.

Samsuri responded curtly, saying: “What is certain is that Muhyiddin is no longer the prime ministerial candidate.”

Muhyiddin later said Samsuri should be given the chance to be PN’s candidate for the top post in GE16, despite “lacking experience”.

PN chairman should automatically be PM candidate

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said it was odd that PN had not yet settled the issue, adding that the leader holding the chairman’s post should automatically be seen as the candidate for prime minister.

“It is quite peculiar for a coalition of political parties to appoint a chairman who is not prime minister material. The chairman of a coalition is conventionally its poster boy,” he added.

However, Azmi said there might be apprehensions over Samsuri’s experience, which could be seen as limited to serving as Terengganu menteri besar. - FMT