Bersatu veep urges ceasefire as ties with Umno threaten to fall apart

 

Bersatu vice-president Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen is calling for a ceasefire between his coalition, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Umno-led BN, amid escalating tensions.

Rafiq (above) said there must also be immediate efforts to strengthen cooperation between PN and BN.

This comes after Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan said cooperating with Bersatu and PN had not benefited Umno and only resulted in the party losing ground.

Umno leaders have been voicing discontent after they had to cede the Sabah chief minister position to Bersatu, despite winning more seats in Saturday's state election.

In a statement today, Rafiq said the Sabah election actually showed that PN, BN and PBS - which formed Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) - each had their own strengths and that they could not have won on their own.

"Without the involvement and contributions of all parties, it won't be possible to form a new government in Sabah.

"All PN and BN leaders must stop openly arguing, whether through press statements or on social media. Use the right platforms and forums such as closed-door discussions to sort out differences of opinion," he said.

Mohamad Hasan

Rafiq added that attacks should be aimed at their enemies and not each other, as this would only erode public confidence in PN and BN.

He urged PN and BN leaders who have made hurtful remarks to apologise and open a new chapter for stronger cooperation between them in the next election.

"All efforts to strengthen cooperation between PN and BN must start now and not at the final moments," he said.

The plea for reconciliation was likely aimed to avoid clashes between Umno-BN and Bersatu in the general election.

Umno has been confident that if BN and PAS join forces, it can win the 15th general election without making any concessions to Bersatu.

Prior to the formation of the PN government, the cooperation between Umno and PAS had contributed to Bersatu suffering defeats in the Tanjung Piai and Semenyih by-elections.

Bersatu has a smaller support base than Umno and it has already been fractured after Dr Mahathir Mohamad was expelled from the party.

Mahathir, who founded Bersatu, has warned that the party could be wiped out if it contests against Umno and the current opposition in the general election. - Mkini