Bersatu in Muafakat – Umno grassroots sore over betrayal, PAS ground receptive

The Perikatan Nasional government, which was cobbled together in haste following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan administration, continued to reveal signs of internal turmoil.

The current conundrum is whether Bersatu should be allowed to become part of the Muafakat Nasional coalition, comprising Umno, BN component parties MCA, MIC and PBRS, as well as PAS.

In a message to the Umno top leadership this afternoon, Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki made it clear that Umno grassroots are not welcoming Bersatu with open arms.

Based on feedback from the ground, he cited five reasons for the uneasiness and topping the list is that Bersatu has many former Umno leaders perceived as having “betrayed the (Umno) struggle”.

“Fifteen Bersatu MPs are (former) Umno MPs who crossed over after winning (their respective seats) on the toil and sweat of the party (Umno) machinery at the grassroots level,” he added.

On the other hand, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the Islamist party's grassroots had no qualms about accepting Bersatu into the fold.

“PAS grassroots will accept. No problem,” he told reporters in Putrajaya today.

Takiyuddin was commenting on Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan's statement yesterday that his party's grassroots are not comfortable with Bersatu's inclusion.

In his media statement, Asyraf urged the Umno top leadership not to ignore the sentiments of the grassroots.

Another reason which makes Bersatu's inclusion a bitter pill for Umno grassroots, he said, is the demeaning statements made by Bersatu leaders in the past when still part of the Harapan government.

For example, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin himself had branded Umno as corrupt and chided PAS for willing to “lock lips” with “robbers”.

According to Asyraf, Bersatu, formed before the 2018 polls, was an Umno splinter party which is perceived as dividing the Malay electorate, resulting in the fall of the BN government in the last general election.

The fourth reason, he said, is that Bersatu is divided into various factions, triggering the impression that the party is seeking to safeguard the positions of certain leaders as opposed to wanting to unite the Malays and champion the people's welfare.

“Fifth... The cooperation with PAS went through a protracted process involving some 700 ceramah at the grassroots level until it was brought to the Umno general assembly to be debated and agreed on.

“(Whereas, the move to include) Bersatu (in Muafakat) is viewed by the grassroots as something being done in a hurry and out of desperation,” he added.

Reiterating his call on the leadership to listen to the grassroots, Asyraf expressed concern that to include Bersatu without support from the ground would derail Muafakat's initial objective.

Meanwhile, Takiyuddin said the presidents of Umno and PAS, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Abdul Hadi Awang, had invited Muhyiddin to join Muafakat.

“The Umno president and PAS president crafted an invitation letter together for the Bersatu president. So you cannot say the grassroots do not agree.

“I can confirm that both presidents signed a letter to officially invite Bersatu to join Muafakat. The letter was sent to the Bersatu president,” he added.

Last week, Bersatu president Muhyiddin said the party's supreme council had agreed to the proposal to join Muafakat.

Muhyiddin, who is also the prime minister, said the unity of the three major Malay-based parties in one coalition would create stability for the country's politics. - Mkini