Quit PN with Gerakan, MIPP in tow, Bersatu advised

 IIUM's Lau Zhe Wei says persuading the two parties to leave as well would strip the PAS-led coalition of its multiethnic image.

Muhyiddin Yassin should at least persuade Gerakan, led by Dominic Lau, to leave PN with Bersatu, an analyst said.

PETALING JAYA:

Bersatu should leave Perikatan Nasional and try to persuade fellow components Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) to follow suit, says a political analyst.

Lau Zhe Wei.

Lau Zhe Wei of the International Islamic University Malaysia said Bersatu should just leave PN now as it no longer stands to gain much from staying, especially with its fallout with PAS, which chairs the coalition, only worsening.

Lau said leaving the coalition with Gerakan and MIPP would strip PN of its multiethnic image.

“Bersatu should at least drag Gerakan with them. If possible, include MIPP as well, so that PN remains a Malay, conservative or right-wing coalition, whether at face value or ideologically,” he told FMT.

He said Bersatu no longer had any reason to stay in PN having been abandoned by PAS during the Johor election campaign.

He pointed to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s call for voters to support BN in seats not contested by PN, as well as the Islamic party’s refusal to help Bersatu candidates campaign.

Lau said PN’s wipeout in Johor was largely due to PAS, which he said had essentially split the coalition’s support base.

The deterioration of PAS and Bersatu’s ties culminated in the Islamic party ending their political cooperation last month. However, both parties remain in PN.

While the PAS-led PN has reached an electoral pact with Barisan Nasional for the Negeri Sembilan state election, Bersatu is contesting under its own banner in 24 seats.

Gerakan and MIPP are contesting one seat each under the PN banner.

Yesterday, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said the party will form a new coalition after the state election, hinting at a PN exit.

Bersatu heading for another wipeout?

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk expects Bersatu to be wiped out in the Negeri Sembilan election as well.

Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk.

Azeem said Bersatu lacked a strong political base and was unlikely to recover while internal tensions remain unresolved.

“One thing is quite certain, Bersatu is in no position to win seats going solo,” he said.

Azmil Tayeb, also of USM, said Bersatu’s problems ran deeper than its issues with PAS.

Azmil said Bersatu has yet to distinguish itself from Umno or PAS despite competing for the same Malay electorate, leaving voters with little reason to back the party over its rivals.

He said Bersatu needs to present a united front and articulate a clearer agenda, particularly on bread-and-butter issues, if it hoped to regain the confidence of voters.

“So far, all that people see coming out of Bersatu is the infighting,” he said.

He said PN’s fragmented image would also deal a blow to PAS and the other parties in the Negeri Sembilan polls, as a disunited front would not inspire confidence among voters. - FMT