Zahid: MCA should not be disheartened by BN-Pakatan partnership

 

BN component parties, particularly MCA, should not feel disheartened by the coalition’s cooperation with Pakatan Harapan.

BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that parties involved in the cooperation should instead collaborate with each other.

“We must remind ourselves that BN will continue to be empowered. Not only MCA, but MIC and PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) are our core components (parties). We also have allied parties in BN.

“Importantly, the cooperation is with all parties in the BN ‘outfit’; therefore, we (parties in BN) have to respect the existence of all 19 parties involved in this collaboration.

“I don’t want any parties to feel discouraged when working together in this smart partnership,” he was quoted by Berita Harian today after officiating at the 2023 Southeast Asia Semicon Conference in Bayan Lepas today.

Zahid (above, left) was asked to respond to MCA secretary-general Chong Sin Woon’s comment who had urged the former to focus on component parties within his coalition and not other political partners, especially the DAP.

Chong (above) has said that BN and Harapan’s cooperation must benefit both coalitions.

Arch nemesis

It is believed that he was responding to Zahid’s call for BN supporters to back Harapan, including their arch nemesis DAP, in the upcoming six-state elections.

MCA's role in the upcoming state polls is unclear. The party does not hold any seats in those six states.

Zahid has previously said that Umno supporters should back Harapan candidates, just as how they have backed MCA and MIC candidates in the past.

Last week, Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan urged Umno and BN supporters to back other unity government coalitions or component parties during the upcoming state elections. He did not specifically mention DAP.

Positive image

However, DAP national publicity secretary Teo Nie Ching and secretary-general Anthony Loke reciprocated by urging party members to back Umno candidates during the upcoming polls.

Meanwhile, Zahid also reminded BN’s component parties to strengthen support from their members and voters.

“This is to give a positive image to the party and not negative impacts due to matters of the past.

“Strengthening each party to expand and widen support is more important than tending to the discouragement of any political parties,” he said. - Mkini