The Wawasan president says the two coalitions must set common goals from day one and negotiate seats based on conditions in the national political landscape.
The Wawasan president said previous governments involving BN and PN had been formed without advance planning, making it difficult for the parties to build mutual trust.
“What happened before was not planned. The recent understanding between BN and PN, however, was planned.
“With proper planning and the right agenda, I think it will work,” he said in an interview with FMT.
BN and PN had been allies in the government previously — in the Muhyiddin Yassin-led government which collapsed in 2021, and the Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration that came after.
The cooperation did not continue after Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration ended with the dissolution of parliament in 2022.
Hamzah likened political cooperation to setting up a company, saying all parties must understand their respective roles and responsibilities from day one.
The opposition leader said the latest cooperation must also be founded on a common goal of developing the country and ensuring all Malaysians benefit.
He said this would allow the two coalitions to plan economic and education policies systematically, in line with the Reset agenda he introduced.
“Many things in this country need to be reset.
“To do that, we need to sit down together, plan properly, identify what is wrong and correct it. From day one, we must determine what needs to be reset to build a better future for everyone,” he said.
The latest BN-PN cooperation was in the form of an electoral pact in the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election, when the two coalitions won 25 of the 36 state seats.
Cooperation cannot be a ‘pick and choose’ ultimatum
Hamzah said the advance planning must also include a seat allocation formula acceptable to both sides and should not be confined to the Melaka state election.
The Melaka election is expected to be called at any time as the state assembly’s term expires at the end of December.
He said BN and PN must look at the broader picture by considering their respective strengths and weaknesses in every state.
“If we want to cooperate, it cannot be a matter of pick and choose.
“We need to consider the country as a whole, not just Melaka,” he said, commenting on BN’s position that it intends to defend all 21 seats it won in the 2021 state election.
The PN deputy chairman said it was natural for a party to want to defend the seats it held, but an overly rigid position would make it difficult for both sides to find common ground.
He said PN could make the same argument, as the coalition won three of Melaka’s six parliamentary seats at GE15, while BN failed to win any.
“In the end, there would no longer be any willingness to cooperate in other states,” he said.
Hamzah said BN and PN must therefore be prepared to make reciprocal compromises, including making concessions in one state in return for cooperation elsewhere.
“If we only look at where we stand today(seats currently held by each coalition), of course we would want to defend it so that no one else can take over.
“But if we look at the bigger goal, we need to sit down, compromise and make concessions,” he said.
Hamzah said the many states where Umno held no state seats must also be considered if BN-PN cooperation was to be implemented nationwide.
He said the incumbency principle could form the basis of seat allocation but should be improved through a more flexible hybrid formula.
The formula must give confidence to BN and PN leaders and supporters nationwide, rather than serve only the interests of certain quarters in Melaka, he added.
Hamzah also welcomed the willingness of BN’s top leaders to discuss future cooperation.
“This is something positive that should be taken into consideration by all parties,” he added. - FMT
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