PN sabotaged itself in Sabah, Sarawak, says analyst

 

Jeniri Amir (left) and Oh Ei Sun say PN’s actions have pushed GRS and GPS closer to BN.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst says Perikatan Nasional has sabotaged itself by placing candidates in Sabah and Sarawak.

Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir said PN’s decision to contest in East Malaysia will hurt its ties with the two states’ ruling coalitions, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

PN is fielding Ronald Kiandee in Beluran, contravening the GRS pact with Sabah Barisan Nasional. It has also set up clashes in Sarawak by fielding candidates in Batang Lupar, Lubok Antu, Saratok and Bintulu.

“They’ve made a big blunder by contesting in Sabah and Sarawak. If you want to work with GRS and GPS, then you should stay out of Sabah and Sarawak,” Jeniri told FMT.

“PN is sending a message that it is untrustworthy and does not respect the leadership in GRS and GPS.”

Jeniri said cooperation with GRS and GPS was inevitable as no party was likely to form a federal government on its own strength.

“In that sense, they have sabotaged themselves if they hope to form the government.”

He said that it was too late for PN to undo the damage it did by contesting in Sabah and Sarawak. He also said it only pushed GRS and GPS closer to BN.

In Sabah, BN is working with GRS while it is staying out of Sarawak.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said PN’s decision to contest in Sabah and Sarawak was inconsequential as it was unlikely to win enough seats to form a ruling coalition after GE15.

“It can only hope to be one of the many smaller parties or coalitions that could be invited to join a ruling coalition.”

But, Oh said PN needed bargaining chips to be invited to join a ruling coalition, and this was why it needed to go all out against friends and foes to win as many seats as possible. - FMT