Maszlee expects Bersatu to be 'most marginalised' party come GE15

Bersatu supreme council member Maszlee Malik expected his party to be the "most marginalised" come the next general election.

He said Umno had made it clear that their cooperation with Bersatu will not last until the next general election.

"When that time comes... My question is: Where will Bersatu stand?

"We are not part of Harapan nor Muafakat Nasional. We will be the most marginal third-party that will face the Harapan and Muafakat Nasional block.

"What will be Bersatu's fate then? Will this parti keramat (glorious party) still have a future?" he asked in a lengthy essay posted on his Facebook page today.

Following the "Sheraton Move" in late February, Bersatu withdrew from Pakatan Harapan to form a new federal government with Umno, PAS, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and other minor parties.

Despite being second to Umno in terms of seats on the government bench, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin was made prime minister and his party controls key cabinet positions.

This has led to disgruntlement among Umno leaders who believe that the distribution of positions was not equitable while the party's supreme council had decided that they do not want the party to officially be in a coalition with Bersatu.

Meanwhile, Maszlee also pondered aloud on whether the party was still relevant now, since it was collaborating with Umno which it once sought to replace.

He said that Umno was now dominating the political landscape while Bersatu members could only stand and watch.

"They (Umno) are the raison d'être for Bersatu's existence. Bersatu exists to replace them, to provide an alternative to politics of corruption by bringing new politics which was supposed to be Bersatu's culture," he said.

Maszlee said he joined Bersatu because he believed in the Bersatu's founding principles which he said was now wavering.

"When Bersatu left Harapan and joined Perikatan Nasional in late February, I asked myself - is Bersatu's identity still relevant? Is it still an alternative party for Malays to replace Umno? Are our ideals still applicable?

"If Bersatu is only following the same flow (as Umno) and collaborating with them to revive the same culture we swore to fight, (while being) apologetic and guilt-free for joining those we have defeated before... what is the rationale for our party's (existence)?

"In the end, the (ideals of the) Malays, the youths and future generations who want to see new politics will fade away," wrote Maszlee. - Mkini