Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin said Perikatan Nasional is close to the stage where it needs to finalise its prime minister candidate for the 16th general election.
He said the decision on the prime minister candidate should not be delayed because it has a psychological effect on voters, especially as the election draws near.
“Perhaps it is almost time for us to decide who the prime minister candidate from PN is. Psychologically, this is important.
“Past experience shows that the people start questioning the coalition’s top leadership when a state or general election gets closer. Whether it is me or someone else who becomes the prime minister candidate, what is important is that we discuss it first, so we do not fight.
“When an election is near, like in Malacca or Johor, the people start asking. If the coalition does not make a decision now, it does not bring any benefit,” he told reporters at a dinner with Tamil-language media practitioners in Brickfields yesterday.
Potential candidates
Discussions regarding the coalition’s prime minister candidate are not new.
At the Bersatu annual general assembly last year, delegates unanimously nominated Muhyiddin as PN’s pick for the top office in GE16.
However, at the PAS muktamar last year, the party’s president, Abdul Hadi Awang, said the prime minister candidate is not necessarily the person leading the PN coalition. Apart from that, Hadi also suggested the candidate should be under 70.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man is seen as a strong candidate due to his popularity within the party and his position as PN deputy chairperson. His age of 65 and ulama leadership also meets other criteria mentioned by Hadi.
Besides that, Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, known as “Dr Sam”, is also considered a potential candidate.
His background in aerospace engineering and support from figures such as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad increased his credibility.
Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin is also seen as having great potential to lead PN.
Although there is speculation of an internal party crisis to replace Muhyiddin, Hamzah expressed willingness to wait for an orderly transition of power.
‘Small misunderstandings are human nature’
Commenting on the relationship between PN leaders, Muhyiddin said overall, ties between the coalition’s main leaders are in good condition.
“If these ties were not good, surely PN would have been destroyed. Small misunderstandings are human nature.
“All party presidents in PN share the same stand that the coalition must remain united and cannot split.
“We realise how important it is for PN to remain strong. We cannot afford to split,” he said.
According to him, as one of PN’s founders, he has good relations with the top leadership of component parties and their members at the national level.
Muhyiddin-Hamzah ties repairable
At the same time, he said that improvements to the PN structure are being planned to ensure that the roles of component parties are more balanced and a more robust execution of political work.
“In the last presidential council meeting, we discussed that (coalition) leaders must come from among party presidents. There are four people: Me, Hadi, Dominic (Lau, Gerakan president), and Punithan (MIPP president).
“If I resign, there are three others. However, if they also have constraints (such as health factors), we need to find a solution. We need to look at the overall situation so that this institution is more sustainable.
“In the future, there will be structural improvements so that every party’s role is more balanced. This is not just about working together, but ensuring stronger implementation,” he said.
Asked about his relationship with Hamzah, Muhyiddin curtly replied: “Still repairable”.
On Dec 30 last year, Muhyiddin announced his resignation as PN chairperson effective Jan 1 this year.
The decision was made as tensions peaked between PAS and Bersatu, following a coup by Perlis assemblypersons from both parties that caused PAS to lose control of the state government.
Following the incident, PAS leaders have threatened to either leave PN and seek a new pact with Umno or take over PN’s leadership themselves. - Mkini
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