Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will retain BN in his government despite escalating tensions between the two as BN seeks to gain power through a new partnership with Perikatan Nasional.
Speaking at the PKR congress in Malacca today, Anwar, who is also the party president, said he is keeping BN in government for the sake of the people and national stability.
"That is my choice. What is their (BN's) choice, let them answer," he said.
If there is a need to clash with BN, then it will happen, he added.
However, since he still has a positive personal relationship with BN chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also deputy prime minister, Anwar believes there is still room for dialogue.
The PKR president also brushed off calls for PKR to split from DAP, saying the party will not heed voters who claimed they would have voted for PKR if not for DAP.
He said the party will remain steadfast with its allies in Pakatan Harapan and that it is time to move on from their recent electoral setbacks.
"Stop talking about Johor and Negeri Sembilan; God willing, with the spirit that you have shown, God willing, history will decide on a decisive victory.
"But work now and work hard... There is no shortcut. Don't follow the way of others, taking shortcuts to heaven and such," he added.
State allocations
Earlier in his speech, Anwar also made a claim that could create friction between BN and PN.
While refuting allegations that his administration had sidelined PN-led states, Anwar claimed that Umno leaders had opposed such allocations.
"My friends in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, many rebuked me. Many friends in Umno rebuked me.
"(Those in Umno said) 'Anwar this is a wrong policy, why help (the PN states)'. Even though they (BN-PN) are partnering at the state levels, they (Umno) disagreed that I approved allocations to Kelantan, Terengganu and so on," he said.
However, Anwar stressed that providing funding to these states was the right thing to do.
He said the allocations include funding for water, electricity, and flood prevention projects.
The Muda Agricultural Development Authority in Kedah has also received RM4 billion in allocations from Putrajaya, he remarked, despite rice farmers not supporting his premiership.
"(Their lack of support) is secondary. The primary matter is their livelihoods and suffering; I can't accept that. When we have power, we have a responsibility to carry out," he said.
He added that claims about unequal funding mostly come from urban elites who ignore the amount of allocations provided.
On that note, Anwar also announced an additional RM1 million allocation for each parliamentary constituency, which he said will go directly to the people. - Mkini
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