Bersatu to form new coalition after Negeri Sembilan polls

 Muhyiddin Yassin hints at PN exit, says fresh alliance will include Putra and Urimai.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin (wearing cap) said the new coalition will take part in the next general election.

NILAI:

After labelling Perikatan Nasional as “toxic” with PAS at the helm of the coalition, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin says his party will form a new political alliance following the Negeri Sembilan state election.

Hinting at a PN exit, Muhyiddin said Bersatu will form the new coalition with other parties, including those which are part of Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat (IPR), such as Ibrahim Ali’s Putra and P Ramasamy’s Urimai.

The former prime minister said this new coalition will take part in the next general election.

“After this state election, Bersatu will no longer be alone. We will form a new grand coalition,” he said at the unveiling of Bersatu’s candidates for the Aug 1 polls today.

In his speech, Muhyiddin accused PAS of leading PN astray from its core struggle and of slandering the Bersatu leadership to sideline his party.

“They think that because they’re a Muslim party, they never lie. They’re always in the right, while we are always in the wrong,” he said.

PAS ended its political cooperation with Bersatu last month though both parties remain PN components. PAS refused to help with Bersatu’s campaign in the July 11 Johor state election though both contested under the coalition’s banner.

After being wiped out in the Johor election, PAS led PN in reaching an electoral pact with Barisan Nasional for the upcoming Negeri Sembilan polls.

BN is contesting 25 of the 36 seats up for grabs in Negeri Sembilan while PN is vying for the remaining 11.

Bersatu has decided to contest under its own banner and named 24 candidates this evening.

Muhyiddin believed Bersatu was well-positioned to contest under its own logo for the first time, saying the party now has 700,000 members across more than 4,000 branches and 180 divisions nationwide. - FMT