PH-BN alliance brings more challenges to Umno, says Shahril

 

Former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said his party must gain non-Malay support through PH while maintaining its appeal among the Malay electorate.

PETALING JAYA: The political cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan offers even more challenges to Umno, the Barisan Nasional lynchpin, said the party’s former information chief Shahril Hamdan.

While Shahril considered PH’s support from among the urban and non-Malay communities as secure, he said Umno’s biggest challenge now was to convince its grassroots and traditional voters among the Malay electorate about the need to work with the coalition.

In a commentary published by the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Shahril said he believed Umno’s grassroots were not enthusiastic about the alliance with PH but were willing to let the party leadership decide on the cooperation.

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“(Umno grassroots) might have voted for (most of) the (party’s) leadership recently. But the circumstances around that – the mixed results at the divisional levels and the stalemate after the 15th general election (GE15) – suggest that it is less about battling for this political union but more of watching what comes out of it first,” he said.

The former Umno Youth vice-chief added that Cabinet positions and political appointments would not be sufficient to fully win over party grassroots on working with PH.

With the upcoming elections in six states set to test Umno’s support, Shahril said his party must gain non-Malay support through PH while maintaining its appeal among the Malay electorate.

Shahril is among several Umno leaders who were suspended for six years by the party in January. Others include Hishammuddin Hussein, Salim Sharif and Maulizan Bujang.

Doubts have been raised about the longevity of the cooperation between BN and PH in the unity government due to the animosity between the two coalitions before GE15.

In recent weeks, leaders of both coalitions have traded barbs with one another, including transport minister Loke Siew Fook and his predecessor, MCA president Wee Ka Siong.

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Amanah communications director Khalid Samad had also drawn brickbats from Umno leaders for asking the King to reject former prime minister Najib Razak’s application for a royal pardon.

Kelantan Umno information chief Zawawi Othman then said the state chapter would consider not working with Amanah for the Kelantan polls if Khalid refused to retract his statement.

Khalid later apologised for creating an “uproar”, but said “we have a different opinion and we hope (Umno) can respect that”. - FMT