Poser for Bersatu in Melaka polls

 Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali holds a different stance on electoral pacts than the state chapter.

Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali yesterday said Bersatu is drawing up a strategy and preparing its election machinery to contest in the Melaka election on its own.

PETALING JAYA:

Azmin Ali’s statement that Bersatu will not cooperate with any political party or coalition for the Melaka election may reflect the strategic dilemma the party is facing, says an analyst.

Tawfik Yaakub of Universiti Malaya said the comment by the party’s secretary-general contradicted that of Melaka Bersatu, which said it was willing to explore political cooperation to contest against Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS.

“This shows that political considerations at the state level differ from strategic calculations and positions taken at the national level,” he told FMT.

Tawfik said Melaka Bersatu’s willingness to cooperate was rational, as the state chapter faces the realities of the upcoming election, including the strength of its machinery and the risk of multi-cornered contests.

He added that Bersatu’s failure to win any seats in the recent Johor and Negeri Sembilan elections provided context for why the Melaka chapter was more inclined to seek an electoral understanding instead of contesting the polls solo.

Yesterday, Azmin said Bersatu would use its own logo to contest the Melaka election, as it did in Negeri Sembilan, and was drawing up a strategy and preparing its election machinery to contest on its own.

His announcement came after Melaka Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders attended a closed-door dinner at a hotel in Melaka.

State Bersatu information chief Hishamuddin Karim said the dinner had no specific agenda and was simply an opportunity to exchange views on preparations for the state polls.

However, Melaka Bersatu election director Ali Mohamad reportedly expressed the state chapter’s willingness to explore political cooperation against BN and PAS during the dinner.

Previously, Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) said it was best for PH and Bersatu to reach an understanding to avoid facing off in the Melaka election, given their grassroots members’ unhappiness over the prospect of cooperation.

Lau Zhe Wei, also of IIUM, pointed out that cooperation with PH would only benefit Bersatu, while PH would have to defend its choice to cooperate with the party responsible for the Sheraton Move, which led to the fall of the PH federal government in February 2020.

He said Bersatu would likely provide value to PH only in Selangor because of Azmin’s previous tenure as menteri besar there.

“How much value Azmin can bring to PH remains to be determined,” he told FMT. - FMT