INTERVIEW | With a few days left until ballots will be cast in six states, a former Bersatu leader has predicted that Perikatan Nasional will not be getting the results the coalition expected.
Former Bersatu supreme council member Muhammad Faiz Na’aman is confident that PN’s strategy, particularly Bersatu’s, will fail to entice voters or threaten the Pakatan Harapan-BN alliance.
Faiz also believes that the failure, caused by what he called a “failed formula” implemented in the Johor and Malacca polls, will be followed by an exodus of party members.
“The impact of my move to leave Bersatu will be seen more clearly after what I predict will be PN’s loss in the state elections because of candidates who were not supposed to be fielded,” said Faiz during an interview at Malaysiakini’s office in Petaling Jaya today.
Questionable candidates
Painting a bleak picture of PN’s chances to capture Selangor this Aug 12, Faiz said this was because, overall, the coalition’s candidates never had the potential to succeed.
“The formula used by Bersatu to face the state elections is not much different than what they did in Johor and Malacca.
“All the moves planned by Bersatu will cause the party to lose,” he said.
For example, Faiz said many candidates fielded by PN from Bersatu were among those “rejected” by voters in the 15th general election.
However, he claimed they were given a second chance while younger candidates were set aside due to the alleged influence of certain quarters within Bersatu.
Aside from their questionable popularity, Faiz said certain candidates also had dubious academic credentials that could potentially turn off more voters, particularly in Selangor.
“We can see in Selangor there are billboards with slogans featuring young Harapan candidates, but Bersatu will not take a similar approach,” he said.
Faiz is believed to be referring to certain Bersatu leaders seen to be closely allied to Selangor PN chief Azmin Ali.
Faiz argued that the situation for PN in Selangor is made worse by certain strategies or statements made by leaders in component partner PAS, which went against attempts to frame the coalition as a moderate one.
He noted that such “aggressive” tactics, seen to pander to certain Malay-Muslim sentiments, will only work in certain states with a more conservative majority.
“That approach will not work in Selangor,” he added.
PAS through its approaches had also on various occasions placed Bersatu in a difficult spot, according to Faiz.
Among others, he said, was the speech made by PN election director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor in Selayang that eventually saw the caretaker Kedah menteri besar charged with allegedly making a seditious remark against the Selangor sultan.
‘Seat distribution strategy’
Faiz also questioned PN’s seat distribution strategy in Selangor, where PAS had given way for Bersatu to contest more seats despite their unconvincing winning chances.
“Maybe Bersatu has more in terms of the number of seats contested but we must also look at the quality of seats given (up by PAS). Bersatu’s chances to win must be taken into consideration,” he said.
Therefore, Faiz expressed hope for voters to make the smarter choice come polling day this Saturday, to prioritise the country’s future and stability over certain sentiments.
“We must understand why the Yang di-Pertuan Agong stressed the importance of our country to maintain stability,” said Faiz, who added that he has not joined another party since his departure from Bersatu. - Mkini
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