BN must not play hard to get, says Umno deputy president

As part of the opposition bloc, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan today said BN must not play hard to get with any breakaway parties that has intentions to return.

This follows reported intentions expressed by former BN components that had contributed to the coalition's latest victory in the Kimanis by-election.

"As the opposition, we must not play hard to get, correct? Beggars cannot be choosers.

"So long as they have intentions to form a strong opposition bloc and eventually face (Pakatan Harapan in) the elections, InsyaAllah (God willing) we can win," Mohamad (photo) told reporters after attending MCA's annual Chinese New Year open house at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

In the recent Kimanis by-election campaign trail, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) - a former BN component that left shortly after the last 14th general elections - had assisted the coalition and later indicated intentions to return as a formal component party.

PBS presidential Maximus Ongkili, who spoke during a Himpunan Muafakat Rakyat Sabah in Kimanis, said the matter could be discussed with BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, ahead of the 15th general elections.

Ahmad Zahid was also present during the gathering which saw attendance of some 1,000 people, held two days before the eventual victory of BN's Mohamad Alamin, with a 2,029 majority against Warisan's Karim Bujang.

Meanwhile, MCA president Wee Ka Siong also today indicated openness to PBS' plans, stressing that the Muafakat Nasional spirit - based on Umno's cooperation with PAS - could also be extended to all parties in the opposition bloc that shared their same goal.

He added, however, that to date BN remains as a three-member coalition of Umno, MCA and MIC.

"That's why I said, whether we want to (once again) form formal engagements (with PBS), we (MCA) have never thought about this.

"So for this (cooperation or parties joining BN), let it happen naturally...For now BN have three component parties and we are not opposed to possibilities of cooperation," he said. - Mkini