I can be ‘bridge’ between major coalitions, says Hamzah

 The ousted Bersatu leader says he has strong relations with party leaders and can engage across coalitions.

Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin hinted that his upcoming ‘small vessel’ would be equipped with ‘technology’ to strengthen cooperation with larger coalitions.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Larut MP Hamzah Zainudin has expressed confidence that he can be an effective intermediary between two major political coalitions to ensure political stability and progress.

Hamzah, who was recently sacked from Bersatu, said Malaysia’s political landscape now required a person who could close gaps between different political groups to form a larger, more stable team.

While he did not name specific coalitions, his comments are believed to refer to Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Barisan Nasional.

Hamzah, a former Umno and PN leader, said he could engage with leaders such as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, citing good personal relations.

He said he had known Zahid since their Umno Youth days in the 1980s, and his relationship with Hadi grew stronger after PN’s formation, lasting even after his Bersatu expulsion on Feb 13.

“I believe I can play that role (as intermediary or bridge),” he said in an interview with selected media, adding he has good relations with many leaders except one party president, whom he did not name.

For the record, Hamzah had declared Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin as his number one political adversary following his expulsion from the party last month.

Rejects perception of weakness

Hamzah rejected the notion that he is now politically weaker just because he is not holding a leadership position in PN.

He said every group has its own strengths, and the “small vessel” he planned to launch would have a new approach and “technology” to strengthen cooperation across political lines.

The “small vessel” refers to a party to be formed as a new platform following Hamzah’s expulsion from Bersatu, where he previously served as deputy president.

“I believe my group has its own strengths. If some parties don’t accept this approach, they can choose not to join,” he said.

The restructuring announced last Saturday saw PAS taking the lead in PN. The party now holds the chairmanship through Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar and the post of secretary-general through Takiyuddin Hassan.

Hamzah also stressed the need to “reset” the country’s structures, institutions, and systems to enable comprehensive reform, referring to the movement he launched on Feb 14, a day after his Bersatu dismissal.

Using a technology analogy, he said a reset was needed when existing systems no longer functioned effectively.

“We don’t reset something to make it worse. We reset because we want a better system,” he said.

Hamzah, who is also the opposition leader, added that nation-building also required capital, or public trust, in leadership that has integrity and credibility.

“That capital comes from trust, and only when people have confidence in the integrity of a group can we build something bigger,” he said. - FMT